The Zen of Sabrina
by Emeraldax
Summary: Zen is my couple name for Zach and Kendall. Sabrina is the BogartHepburn movie. Mix together and consume with your favorite warm beverage. [Completed]
1. The Demon Strikes

Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this story. Does that cover it?

Chapter 1

Zach had the private investigator buzzed in. The nondescript man sat down and wordlessly slid a file across the desk to Zach. Zach opened the file and glanced inside. He sighed heavily. "Are you absolutely sure about this?" The PI gave him an 'are you kidding me' look. "Mr. Slater, I know you wanted a different answer, but the facts would not let me give it to you." Zach nodded once. "Facts have a way of ruining a person's fun. Thanks anyway." The PI stood up and left the office. Zach swiveled his chair around and stared at the painting of the casita. Maria had seemed willing to believe he would get an innocent woman in trouble to get what he wanted. That knowledge still hurt him. She thought he could be like Michael – destroy a woman's life. Zach didn't particularly like Kendall, but he wasn't going to be responsible for having her sent to prison for a crime that she didn't commit. It would have been much simpler if she had poisoned Greenlee. Unfortunately, the file on his desk proved otherwise. Zach sighed. He stood up and grabbed his coat. He needed to come up with another idea to break up Ethan and Kendall, so that Ethan would leave town for good.

Zach tapped his thumb against the steering wheel of his Jaguar, as he waited at a stoplight. He glanced at the movie theater to his left. Sometimes they played old movies that he liked. He saw that the marquee was advertising 'Sabrina' – the original with Humphrey Bogart and Audrey Hepburn. He felt something twist inside him as he remembered an incident with his father concerning that movie. He had seen it advertised in the tv guide, and being a Bogart fan, had sat down to watch it one evening. He was bewildered at first, since it wasn't a typical Bogey flick, but Audrey Hepburn was so alluring, that he kept watching it. Unfortunately Alex Sr. walked in, and when he saw what young Alex was watching, he had delivered a scathing lecture about watch girly movies, and how his son was not going to become some candy-assed pansy. Zach's fingers tightened on the steering wheel at the memory. As the light turned green, Zach tried to distract himself from his father's voice in his head by remembering what the movie had been about. He remembered that his draw to the movie had been more than Audrey's doe eyes. The movie had been about two brothers in a powerful corporate family. The older brother worked hard and lived for his job. The younger brother had been a devil-may-care ladies man. So much like Alex and Michael had originally been destined to become. The younger brother started to fall for the chauffer's daughter, which went against the older brother's plans for him. So the older brother decided to nip the relationship by horning in on the girl himself. He romanced the girl, making her fall in love with him.

Zach slowed to a halt at the next stoplight, chuckling to himself as he wondered if it could be that easy. He goes out for a drive to figure out a way to break up Ethan and Kendall. Then he sees the marquee for Sabrina. Was it, perhaps, meant to be? But how the hell do you make a person fall in love with you, enough to forsake all others? If he had known how to do that, Maria would be in his arms right now. It was a ridiculous idea, and could only happen on a movie screen. Besides, Sabrina merely disliked the older brother in the beginning of the movie. Kendall hated his guts. She wasn't even approachable, much less malleable. Zach turned on some music to try and distract his brain from picking at this crazy notion. Instead of music, the radio station was giving a weather alert. A blizzard had practically shut down the state of New York, and the storm front was apparently moving south. The newscaster was advising people to get where they needed to go and stay there or risk being stranded somewhere undesirable.

Zach stared at the radio, wondering if his own personal demon was feeding him this plan in order to more smoothly pave the way to hell. He decided to challenge the demon some more. Weather was unpredictable. How was he to know when (or if!) exactly a blizzard would hit town, and how could he contrive to get Kendall to be with him at the time so they would be trapped together – all without endangering either of their lives? Zach let his demon stew on that problem for a bit as he pulled into the condo complex. He whistled as he strolled to his door. As he was unlocking the door, he heard a bang behind him. He whirled around and saw Kendall standing in her doorway, having flung open her door moments ago. She marched over to him, her eyes flashing. "Where is Ethan? What the hell did you do to him?"


	2. The Road to Hell

Chapter 2

Zach frowned. "What do you mean, where is Ethan? I thought you two were joined at the hip." She put one hand on her hip and waved a piece of paper with the other one. "He left me a note saying that he had some serious thinking to do, and that he would be gone a day or two." Zach's lips quirked. "Is it so wrong for the boy to want some privacy? Maybe he feels suffocated, though I wish he had chosen to go back to England. I don't think a day or two is going to give him what he needs." Kendall sighed and shook her head. "I'm not worried about him being alone with his thoughts, you idiot. Maybe you've spent too much time in the desert and therefore lack serious understanding, so let me educate you. There is a snow storm brewing and it is going to be major. This is not the time to be travelling, this is the time to be hunkering down with reinforcements."

Zach narrowed his eyes. "You have a point, there." He casually walked past Kendall and into her condo. She followed him. "What do you think you're doing?" He looked around. "Trying to find some clue as to where he went." He walked over to the telephone and picked up a brochure. "Is this yours?" She took it, and shook her head. "No. This is for a place between here and Llanview that has mountain cabins for rent. I thought it was shut down during the winter." Zach took the brochure from her and dialed the telephone. He quickly learned what he needed to know, and hung up. "It looks as if the cabins are for rent in the winter, and Ethan reserved one today." Kendall put her hand to her mouth. "The mountains are the worst possible place to go in a blizzard. He's insane. I have to go after him." She grabbed her coat. "I'll go with you," he said. "You are not wanted or needed," she flung at him. He shook his head. "I may not be wanted, but I am damn well needed. I may have lived in the desert a number of years, but I do know a think or two about storms. It is much better to be in pairs when you are out in one. I won't take no for an answer." She sighed. "Fine. But hurry!"

Zach grabbed his coat and they took off in his Range Rover. They drove in silence, broken by the occasional instruction from Kendall on where to turn. It had been snowing lightly when they left, and when they were halfway to their destination it began to get thicker and thicker. Zach asked her what Ethan was driving, and she told him that he was leasing a Honda Civic. Zach grimaced and noted that it wasn't the best vehicle for driving mountain roads in the snow. Kendall flicked her eyes around the Rover. "I bet this does well on rough terrain. But you know, you could have just bought a Ford Explorer and strapped a 100 grand to the hood." Zach glanced over at her. "You got that from an episode of Murphy Brown." Her eyes widened. "You watch sitcoms?" Zach shrugged. "I had a girlfriend who liked that particular show, and thought it was warm and fuzzy for us to watch it together. I drew the line, though, at Mad About You." Kendall laughed. Then, surprised at herself, she fell into silence.

As Kendall studied the cabin brochure. Zach noticed a car coming from the opposite direction. It was a Honda Civic. He wasn't positive, but he was almost certain that the driver was Ethan. Obviously the boy realized he would be stranded and turned back. "How much further do you think it is to the cabin?" Kendall tapped the brochure. "I think about ten more minutes. Do you think we'll make it there?" Zach surveyed the disappearing horizon. "Its possible we'll make it there, but I doubt we could get back to Pine Valley. Once we get there, we are there until the blizzard is over and some of the snow melts." He glanced over at her. She looked pensive. "I really want to make sure Ethan is okay. It will be worth getting stuck at the cabins if I know he is alive and well." Zach's conscious told him to say that Ethan had already passed them. But his personal demon was insistent that everything was falling into place, and he would be a fool not to at least give it a shot. Zach stared out at the snow-encrusted highway and mused that this must be what the road to Hell looked like.


	3. Not So Great Reception

Chapter 3

Zach watched as Kendall made her 27th lap around the the main room of the cabin. He tried to muster up some inspiration from the late Bogey as to what his character would have done to seduce his doe-eyed prey. Of course, Kendall was no Audrey Hepburn. The fire in her was more akin to Katharine Hepburn. In fact, a lot about Kendall reminded him of Katharine. He remembered that when he ws young, he watched a lot of old movies to escape his reality, and that Katharine Hepburn was his favorite actress. A lot of his, er, dreams as a young man were of Hepburn – a fact he never related to his Brooke Shields-obsessed friends, else they beat the shit out of him.

Kendall paused, staring at something over his head. She made a beeline towards him, continuing to stare above his head. He looked up, and saw that a shelf was above him, but from his perspective did not see what was on the shelf. When he looked ahead again, he was staring straight at her torso. He realized that she was reaching above him for whatever had caught her attention. She put her foot on his chair, right between his legs. This caused Zach to twitch and grab the aforementioned torso. She immediately shoved away from him. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" He stood up and glanced at the shelf. "What the hell do you mean? You were the one about to stomp on my assets." He saw that there was a radio on the shelf. Kendall laughed. "Considering that you and I are going to die in this cabin, I wouldn't say your assets are worth anything." He gave her an exasperated look and took the radio off the shelf. "Is this what you're trying to reach?"

Kendall snatched it from him. "I want to see if I can get some Christmas music. I'm badly in need of some holiday cheer right now." She plugged it in and started fiddling with the antenna. He stared at her in dismay. He was stuck in a cabin in the middle of nowhere in the middle of a blizzard with a woman that hated his guts, and now she was about to torture him with Christmas music? He had liked such music as a boy, and many of the songs reminded him of Rosita, the housekeeper, who played it endlessly each year. But year after year his father continued to suck the life out of him, until the warm memories of Rosita were replaced by resentful memories of asking his father if he would be home on Christmas morning, only to be laughed at for being such a sap.

Kendall finally found a slightly fuzzy station that was playing "Jingle Bell Rock." She smiled and tapped her fingers on the radio. He remembered Rosita would wiggle her matronly hips to this song, then giggle with the upstairs maid as if she knew she looked silly, but didn't care. Mercifully the song ended, only to be replaced by "Let It Snow." Kendall stared at the radio, not sure whether to smash the thing or laugh as it cheerfully played "Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful…" She turned off the radio and stared at the empty fireplace. There was a knock at the door. Zach answered, and saw that it was the landlord. "Here's the wood you wanted, and I found the key to the pantry so's you can eat. There was a message on the voice mail from that Ramsey fella. He made it back okay. Nice of him to call. Too bad you missed him. He'd been gone maybe 15 minutes when you showed up." Kendall glanced at Zach. "Which means we must have passed him at some point. You sure you didn't see him, Zach? You had your eye on the road." Zach looked at her impassively. "Yes, on the road in front of me, not the one opposite." She gave him a speculative look, then took the key to the pantry and disappeared into the kitchen.

The landlord left, and Zach efficiently transferred the wood from the doorway to the fireplace. He glanced at the kitchen door. Was Kendall really going to make them something to eat? He wouldn't have figured her for a cook. Or maybe she wasn't, and she was now busily chowing down on crackers or some other food that didn't need to be cooked. He could just see her eating it all herself and not leaving any for him. He went to the kitchen. She was staring at a small jar of what looked like caviar. He wasn't sure, but it seemed as if she was thinking of Ethan. Irritated, and not quite sure why, Zach spoke up. "If you want that jar to yourself, feel free. Always thought that stuff tasted incredibly nasty." Kendall looked up at him, her eyes unreadable. "So I guess the craving for raw fish eggs didn't pass down from father to son?"


	4. The First Showdown

Zach contrived to look unperturbed, though his stomach contents did a backflip. "Still refuse to believe rock solid DNA evidence?" Kendall narrowed her eyes at him. "I believed in rock solid DNA evidence that Miranda was really Bess, and look where that got me. Speaking of Miranda, you should see how her adorable face scrunches up when her cheek is getting swabbed. Ethan's face has just the same scrunch to it. Amazing." Zach continued to look unperturbed, but this time his whole body felt like it was swirling into a vortex. He cleared his throat. "I don't suppose you would buy it if I said that Ethan was probably a long lost Montgomery or Kane?" Kendall looked at him like he was bug entrails. Bogey certainly didn't have these problems in Sabrina.

Kendall set the jar of caviar down on the counter. "You should have seen Ethan's face. Part of him wanted to be very happy that he was related to that little girl. But the other part him just wanted to know why. Why would you lie about being his father? He came up with many possible reasons, and none of them sounded good." Zach's throat clenched. "All those possible reasons boil down to one conclusion. I'm a son of a bitch. Why don't we just leave it at that, hmm? I faked my death all those years ago, but it was too late. The old man's poison got to me already. I'm just as bad as him. A cold-blooded bastard who obsessively controls everyone around him for his own maniacal purposes. End of story. Now Ethan has even more reason to run away from me as fast as he can. Good riddance to him." Zach ended his tirade abruptly, breathing deeply to avoid choking on his words.

Kendall stared at him cooly for a few moments. "I agree with everything you said, except the last part. Ethan isn't going to run. When I found out that Erica Kane was my mother and that she didn't want anything to do with me, I didn't run. I stayed and made her life a living hell. Amazingly enough, we eventually got past all that and are bonded as a mother and daughter should be. I don't expect the same outcome for you and Ethan. Just the living hell part. Unless you want to be the one to run away. By all means." Zach shook his head. "I'm not budging." Kendall laughed derisively. "Of course, I forgot. How could you possibly leave until you can take Maria with you. But that's only a matter of time. She and Edmund are divorcing." Zach narrowed his eyes at her. "If Greenlee divorced Ryan in a snit and he was still pining after her, would you want him back? Oh, I forgot, you have no pride."

Kendall looked away from him. "Does pride keep one warm at night? Sure, I did a lot of desperate things to try and lure Ryan back into my arms. Maybe you were more calculating in your efforts to get Maria, but they netted you the same exact result." Kendall paused and looked out the window over the sink. "Did you know that Ryan was married before? Her name was Gillian, and from what I have heard, he adored her. I never met her because she died before I came back to town. Sometimes I wish that she had come back from the dead and she was the reason that Ryan left me - I was no match for true love. Instead he chose Greenlee because…I guess she was less of a pain in the ass than I." She broke off suddenly, as if she realized she was rambling on about intimate details of her heart. Zach cursed inwardly. He didn't want to feel sympathy for Kendall, but he couldn't help but think that Ryan must be the most pompous ass that ever walked the earth. He and Greenlee deserved each other.

Zach drummed his nails against the kitchen counter. "How about I make us something to eat while we are still fortunate enough to have electricity?" Kendall bit her lip. He could tell she didn't relish the idea of fending for herself. "Fine. While you are doing that, I'll make up our beds. I do a mean hospital corner." He nodded his head. "Deal." She glanced his way, then went swiftly from the room. He surveyed the pantry. He had been known to make more than one woman swoon at his home-cooked meals. Somehow he thought it might take a little more than that to impress Kendall, but he had to start somewhere.


	5. Hereditary Predator?

Chapter 5

As Zach was starting to pull ingredients out of the cupboard, something occurred to him. He walked out into the passageway. "Kendall, have you started making the beds yet?" Her head popped out over the upstairs railing. "Quite the taskmaster, aren't you? I'm still looking for the linens." Zach drummed his fingers on the wall. "Come down here first, we need to talk about the sleeping arrangements." She narrowed her eyes and trotted down the stairs. "Let me guess, you want the bigger room with the view?" He gathered his thoughts, knowing he was in for a fight. "I don't think we should sleep in the upstairs bedrooms. We don't know how long we will be here, and we need to conserve firewood by only lighting a fire in one location – the den." She folded her arms. "Doesn't heat rise?" He shook his head. "Some, but not enough." He cleared his throat. "The couch has a pull-out bed. I think we should sleep on that. Together." She gazed at him through half-closed eyelids.

"Okay. I'll go find the linens and get out only one set." She half turned to go. Zach was dumbfounded. "Umm…er…you're okay with this?" She put her hands on her hips. "Come on Zach, do I look like one of those shrinking violets who swoon at the mere thought of a man sharing my bed? Your argument about conserving firewood was logical, and I know you aren't out to seduce me." She threw her head back and laughed, obviously amused at such a ridiculous idea. Zach attempted to laugh, but choked. He cleared his throat. "I know you don't have delicate sensibilities, but considering who my brother was, I thought maybe you would have reservations." She stopped laughing and cocked her head to one side. "You really think that? Zach, maybe you need a history lesson. My father was a rapist, but my brother and I aren't exactly predators." Zach frowned. "You have a brother?" Kendall put up a hand. "Don't interrupt. Did you know that Ryan has a brother that committed rape? Rape, and the kind of evil that produces it, is not hereditary. It took me years to realize that. You may be a jerk, but you are not like your brother."

Zach spoke quietly, "How do you know for sure?" Kendall rolled her eyes. "Well for one thing, when I first met Michael, he literally charmed the pants off me. When I first met you, I mistrusted you on sight. The only time I ever liked you was when I thought you could help me get revenge on Ryan. I got over it. Michael was a sociopath. He used charm to get what he wanted, until it was no longer effective, and then he just took. You wouldn't know charm if it slithered up and bit you. Kind of like me in that regard." Zach raised his eyebrows. "I would agree that charm is not a trait you inherited from your mother." Kendall shrugged. "Bianca got that gene. Anyway, my point is that I don't trust you, and you may still be lethal to the people I love, but I feel pretty confident that if and when you wield your…uh…power, it won't be like Michael."

Zach ran his hand up and down his stubbly cheek. "I feel pretty confident that you can be incredibly naïve sometimes." Kendall laughed. "And I'm sure you plan to use that to your advantage." She sauntered back up the stairs, and Zach quickly looked away from her swaying hips. He set about making dinner. Kendall's jokes about him seducing her made him wince. He was trying to do that, though not sexually. Did that caveat really make a difference? He may not be planning to overpower her physically, but he was trying to attach her to him emotionally. He was screwing around with her heart. Zach slammed a pot onto the stove, telling himself to snap out of it. According to the intelligence he'd gathered, Kendall had taken advantage of other people for her own gain on many occasions. If she was hurt by his plan, then she was getting what was owed her. Karma certainly had no problem biting his own ass. There would be no happy ending for him when his son left town hating his guts. Maria would not come to him again. He had seen it in her eyes the last time he spoke to her. Her love for Edmund was so deep that she was willing to put up with whatever that bitter shell of a man dished out.

Zach emptied a can into the pot and turned on the burner. If he did manage to succeed in getting Kendall to fall in love with him, he would keep the pretense up long enough for Ethan to get the message and leave for good. Then when Zach dumped her, she would get over it and move on with her life. She may not have inherited Erica's charm, but he was sure that she must have inherited her ability to go through men like tissue. As Zach stirred the pot, he wondered what he should do now. His little demon seemed to have such a knack for getting him to each new step, he wondered whether he should even bother planning and just see what happens next. At that moment he heard Kendall's frantic voice from upstairs. "Oh my God! Zach? Zach!"


	6. Seeing Things

Author's note: OLTL viewers should be able to figure out certain characters in this chapter. Those who do not watch OLTL won't miss out – all will be explained in due time. PS – there is some racy imagery.

Chapter 6

Showing an amazing amount of control that he didn't realize he possessed, Zach managed to turn the burner off the stove before barreling like a crazy man up the stairs. When he reached the top, he somehow knew in which room she was located. Kendall was hunched under the window, and when she saw him, she frantically indicated that he should crouch down also. Deciding for the moment, since she appeared to be uninjured, to humor her, he went down to the floor. Hoping that this would not turn out to be about a fuzzy spider, he crawled to her side. When he was sitting next to her, he gave her an expectant look.

Kendall took a deep breath. "I know what you're thinking, that I saw a big fuzzy spider or something. This isn't about a spider. But I don't know for sure if I was seeing things or not. Maybe it was something harmless, like a spider, and I overreacted. Or maybe I did see something awful. I don't know." Zach took a deep breath. "Why don't you start by telling me what you did see?" Kendall glanced back at the window. "I looked out the window to see if it was still snowing hard. I was happy to see that there was more visibility. I know this because I saw a person standing outside of the cabin next to us. The porch light was too weak for me to see whether it was a man or a woman. Anyway, the person was trudging away from the cabin, when all of a sudden I saw another person come out of the cabin. The second person came up behind the first person and held their hand to the first person's back. That person froze for a moment, then turned around and went back into the cabin, with the second person following behind, with his or her hand still on the first person's back."

Zach frowned. "So, let me get this straight….who's on third?" Kendall smacked her hand on her knee. "Zach! Don't you get it? It looked as if the second person might have been holding a gun on the first person. But in the weak light, it was hard to tell. It really looked like coercion." Zach rubbed his face. "So you're telling me that you think somebody is holding someone else captive in a blizzard, in the cabin next to us." Kendall bit her lip. "Or I could have misinterpreted the whole thing. I don't know, Zach." Zach inched his head up and peeked out the window. "Well, one does wonder who else would be as crazy as us to come up here in a snowstorm. I just think it's a stretch that something sinister would be going on."

Kendall peeked out the window herself, and seeing nothing, stood up and started pacing. "Whatever I saw, I didn't feel good about it, Zach. I'll never be able to sleep tonight if I don't find out for sure." She headed for the staircase. "Where are you going?" She glanced back. "I'm going over there." He came after her. "I don't think anything is wrong, but if there is, you don't need to be barging into trouble." She rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to barge. I'm going to sneak. I'll just look in the window. It's a little high off the ground, so I need to find a ladder." She found a stepladder in the kitchen. As she shrugged into her coat, Zach sighed and shook his head. "I better go with you. Just to make sure you don't do something stupid."

They quietly approached the cabin, and eased the ladder in place under the window. Zach insisted on taking the first peek, in case the situation proved to be dangerous or graphic. Kendall looked perplexed. "Graphic?" Zach nodded. "Do you really want to get an eyeful of a murdered corpse?" Her eyes widened. "Oh." Zach climbed up the ladder, feeling more and more silly with each step. When he caught a glimpse through the slightly opened curtain, he felt even more silly. Prominent inside the room was a bed. On the bed lay a man whose arms were bound to the bedposts and his legs were bound together. His pants were pulled down to his knees. A woman wearing a lace negligee was on top of him, writhing. Zach sighed. He came down from the stepladder.

Kendall looked at him expectantly. "Well?" Zach gave her an exasperated look. "For bringing me out into this weather, I think you deserve to be embarrassed. Go ahead. Take a gander." She frowned in puzzlement and went up the ladder. Her mouth dropped open. "Oh my. Oh my. Oooooh my." Zach smirked. "That's probably what she's saying right about now." Kendall slinked down the ladder. "Um…I don't suppose you'd buy that she kidnapped him?" He gave her a Look. "I'm going back to the cabin and finish making dinner." She followed along dejectedly.


	7. Interesting Dinner Conversation

Disclaimer: A bit more raciness.

Chapter 7

Kendall picked at her food, not saying much of anything during dinner. Zach decided that his little demon must have clocked out for the night, because nothing was less conducive to wooing someone than standing out in the snow spying on people having sex. Finally fed up with the silence, he said "Okay, out with it. The food is excellent, so you must have something on your mind." Kendall sighed. "I know you'll think I'm crazy. I just feel like there was something….fundamentally wrong with what we saw in that cabin." Zach raised an eyebrow. "I somehow doubt you are the type to disapprove of a woman being on top, or even bondage for that matter. So I assume you mean something else?" Kendall drummed her fingers. "It was their faces. The man had such a stony, grim expression. And the woman looked….purposeful. Determined. Zach, neither of these people seemed to show one ounce of passion." Zach put his fork down. "You must have really been paying attention up on that ladder. I think you're overreacting. Different people have different expressions when they are making love. And even if it was like you say…well, they could just be one of those married couples that have lost the fire. Depressing maybe, but certainly not sinister."

Kendall didn't respond, just stared at her plate. Zach couldn't believe he was going to continue this conversation. "Okay, so what do you think would be the explanation for what you saw?" She looked up at him reluctantly. "I promise I won't ridicule your idea." She gave a half-hearted smirk. "Well, you asked for it. What if the woman kidnapped the man, tied him up, and was… raping him while we watched." There was a long pause. "I promised I wouldn't ridicule…so I'll play devil's advocate instead. It is physically impossible for a woman to rape a man. I did happen to notice that he was erect." Kendall nodded. "I noticed too. And I was thinking about that. There are drugs out there now that can help with erections. I've even heard of them causing problems where the men would become involuntarily erect. Like what happens with adolescent boys." Zach sat back. "How do you know about what happens with boys?" Kendall smiled. "When I was in middle school, I had a guy friend who for some reason shared a lot of information." He laughed. "I'll just bet he did."

Zach started clearing dishes. "Well, your idea about the drugs is interesting. It just seems complicated. For what purpose would a woman kidnap a man, bring him to a remote cabin, drug him, and rape him? You said yourself that the woman didn't seem to be enjoying herself either. You said she looked purposeful and determined." Kendall shrugged. "That's where my theory goes a little whacko. She could be some stalker type that decided to take things to the ultimate level and realized in the middle of it that it wasn't paying off like she hoped. Maybe she figured once she got him going he would like it, and so she was, you know, working it." Zach cocked his head. "That's a bit of a stretch." Kendall laughed self-consciously. "Not as much as my other theory: That she wants to get pregnant with his child." Kendall giggled helplessly.

Zach put the dishes in the sink. Kendall shouldered him aside. "You cooked, I'll clean." She glanced over at his surprised look. "What, you think a Kane woman wouldn't sully her hands? You forget I wasn't raised Kane. Ha! Anyway, I've been coming up with all kinds of kooky theories about what we saw over there. Do you have any thoughts to add?" Zach was silent for a moment. "I have been wondering where I've seen that guy before. It was hard to tell, because he had a beard, but I think I recognized him." Kendall's hands stilled in the soapy water. "Of course! I recognized him too! Its that guy who owns the trashy newspaper in Llanview, The Sun. So many times I wanted to drive over there and throttle him for the things his newspaper has said about me and my loved ones. Oooooh. Well, if he was kidnapped, then he probably deserves it!"

Zach slowly nodded his head. "You're right. I think that was Todd Manning. Well, if it is him, then your theory that he was an unwilling sex partner becomes much more interesting." Kendall frowned. "Why is that? What do you know about the sex habits of a newspaper magnate from Llanview?" Zach looked at her grimly. "I make it my business to know a lot about the powerful people around me. And what I know about Todd Manning is that he is a lot like Michael. The son of a rich evil old bastard….and a rapist."


	8. Fireside chat

Author's note: A bit of irony here. Thorston Kaye once played a character on OLTL that was a love interest for the college student mentioned below.

Chapter 8

Kendall blinked. "The owner of The Sun is a rapist? Really?" Zach nodded. "I would have thought you'd know that. When I moved to town, I looked through newspaper archives and saw tons of articles about his rape trial. This was about….a year ago." Kendall put the last dish on the drying rack. "That would explain why I didn't hear about it. Ever since Michael raped Bianca, I avoid reading any articles about rape. So why isn't he in jail?" Zach went into the living room and stoked the fire. "The charges were dropped. It was his wife who had accused him of rape. Turns out she had some sort of brain tumor that made her confuse rough sex for rape." Kendall stared at him. "Freaky. Well I guess they made up if they're going at it again up here in the mountains." Zach shook his head. "That wasn't her. His wife was a beautiful blonde woman."

Kendall sat on the sofa. "So if she dropped the charges, why did you call him a rapist?" Zach sat next to her. "Because he had a prior conviction. When he was in college he led a gang rape against another student." Kendall closed her eyes and leaned her head back. "And of course he isn't paying for it. He's living the high life instead." Zach rubbed his chin. "From what I've heard, Todd Manning is filled with a great deal of self-loathing for what he did." Kendall rolled her eyes. "I'm sure he's crying all the way to the bank each day."

Zach stared into the fire. Kendall narrowed her eyes. "I know what you're thinking. If Michael had lived, would he ever have felt remorse for what he did? I can tell you that the answer is no. I don't know anything about Manning, but I can bet you that Michael was probably a lot more like my father than him." Zach's mouth tightened ever so slightly. "I am afraid that I agree. Michael turned into an opportunist who twisted ethics and morality to justify whatever he did. A true Cambias – the sort of life I have been trying to spare Ethan." Kendall started laughing hard, hugging her arms to her stomach. Zach stared at her. "Suddenly you find this amusing?" She shook her head. "Do you even realize the irony of your words? You act like you are so noble trying to save Ethan from The Cambias Curse, and yet you are doing the very thing you just described – twisting morality to justify the fact that you denied your own son."

Not laughing anymore, Kendall stood up and started pacing. "Do you know that Ethan came very close to blowing off his legacy just because he didn't want to face the idea that his own father didn't want to acknowledge him?" Zach stood up also. "I would have very much loved it if he had blown off his so-called legacy. Then instead of my son being eaten up by all that power, it would be your precious Ryan. When Ethan becomes a money-hungry fanatic, assuming of course that he is found innocent of shooting your precious Ryan, I hope you can all be happy that you did The Right Thing."

Kendall stopped pacing. "Why do you keep calling him 'my precious Ryan'? I'm with Ethan, now." Zach gave a short bark of laughter. "No matter who you are with now or in the future, Ryan will always be the only one that matters to you. One of the many reasons why I want you the hell away from my son." Kendall walked up to Zach so that she was one inch from him. "Well, we don't always get what we want, do we?" Zach stared into her eyes, his half-smirk almost identical to hers. He wondered if he should pull her to him and kiss her. His demon told him that it was too soon, he didn't want to show his hand yet. Zach had a feeling that if he did kiss her, more than his hand would be showing. Instead, he opted to caress the line of her jaw with his finger. "You know a lot about that, don't you, sweetheart?"

Resisting the suddenly powerful urge to let his hand continue its path to her glorious hair, Zach turned and began shoving the coffee table against the wall. Kendall frowned. "What are you doing?" Zach tossed the sofa cushions on an adjoining chair. "I'm making up the sofa bed. Its been a long day and I'd like to get some sleep." He stopped and looked at her in a challenging manner. She assessed him through narrowed eyes for a moment, then walked to the stairs. "I'll go get those linens I never found earlier." When she was out of sight, Zach released the death grip he had on one of the cushions. This sudden attraction he was feeling for Kendall would not do - not do at all.


	9. Dream Weaver

Author's Note: The song I am using is Show Me the Way, by Styx. If you haven't heard of it, you can go to Amazon and hear a clip from the greatest hits album.

Chapter 9

Zach and Kendall made up the sofa bed in silence. While she had been upstairs getting the linens, he had stripped down to his tank and boxers. He noticed that she was looking at him under her eyelashes and debated whether he should make a sarcastic comment. He decided against it. It would probably lead to an argument, and he knew that fury was one flip of the coin away from passion.

As soon as the bed was made, Zach got into it and lay on his side facing the wall. "Goodnight." There was a long pause. "I'm not very sleepy. Would it disturb you if I went over to the reading nook and read for a while?" Without turning to look at her, he said, "That's fine. I'm too tired for it to bother me." He heard her walk a few steps and stop. "Um…I like to listen to music at night. Sometimes silence makes me feel edgy. Do you mind?" Zach shook his head. It wasn't like her to be so diffident. "I said it was fine. Do what you want."

Kendall switched on the soft lamp in the reading nook, and then turned off the main light. After a moment, he heard the radio come on. She had it on low volume, but he could still hear it. Thankfully it wasn't holiday tunes anymore. He heard the beginning strains of one of his favorite songs, Show Me The Way.

As Zach fell into a deep sleep, he began to dream in full technicolor Styx-vision:

"Every night I say a prayer in the hope that there's a heaven  
And every day I'm more confused as the saints turn into sinners  
All the heroes and legends I knew as a child have fallen to idols of clay  
And I feel this empty place inside so afraid that I've lost my faith "

Alex Jr. was standing in his father's study. He was a boy, wearing his baseball uniform. The oversized desk chair was facing the window, so he couldn't see his father. "Father? Will you be coming to my baseball game?" The chair swiveled around, and he saw that instead of Alex Sr., the chair was occupied by Ethan. "Tell me, son. How good are you at baseball?" Alex Jr. shrugged. "I'm pretty good." Ethan nodded. "Do you have aspirations to play professionally?" Alex Jr. frowned. "Um…no." Ethan laced his hands together. "So why should I waste time that is valuable to Cambias Industries on a simple hobby?" There was a terrible silence. Then, Alex Jr heard a voice from behind him. "You bastard! Its bad enough that you aren't going to his game. Do you have to be such an ass about it?" The boy turned around and saw Erica Kane standing there, wearing her blonde wig from Vegas and a tumbler of Scotch in her shaking hand. He turned back to Ethan, who was laughing. "Your mother is quite the drama queen. Tell you what, my darling. Why don't you sober up and go to his game yourself?" Alex Jr. turned back to his "mother," but this time, instead of Erica, Kendall was standing there. She didn't have a wig on, but she was holding a glass of Scotch. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she hung her head. More horrifying than the idea of Ethan verbally abusing his wife the way his grandfather had, was the fact that this was Kendall. She should have been delivering him a punch in the nose, not standing there in abject defeat. Was this what his son would become when he took over the reigns at Cambias? Little Alex Jr. closed his eyes and whispered. "I want to go to the safe place. Take me to the safe place." This was a coping mechanism he learned as a boy from a friend who was seeing a child psychologist.

"Show me the way, show me the way  
Take me tonight to the river  
And wash my illusions away  
Show me the way

And as I slowly drift to sleep, for a moment dreams are sacred  
I close my eyes and know there's peace in a world so filled with hatred  
That I wake up each morning and turn on the news to find we've so far to go  
And I keep on hoping for a sign, so afraid that I just won't know"

In his dream, Zach continued to chant, "Take me to the safe place." When he finally opened his eyes, he was in the casita. He breathed a deep sigh of relief. He sat down on the sofa, and stared contentedly into the fireplace. He could hear the crackling of the fire, feel the warmth of it flow over his body. "You look happy." He turned his head and saw Maureen standing there. He smiled and held out his hand to her. She didn't move. "All is right with the world when you're in your little casita." Zach frowned. Her voice seemed to grow a little bit deeper with each word. "The only reason that's true is because this is not reality. When we met, you claimed to be Zach Slater. Not true. I claimed to be Maureen Gorman. Not true. This house is made of brick and mortar, but the home we created was as fragile as gossamer. No love can sustain such an illusion. And it didn't. I found my way back to who I was, and you were forced to come to terms with who you are." Her voice continued to get deeper and deeper until it sounded demonic.

The casita faded away and became Wildwind. "This, Zach, is my home. Just as solid as the brick and mortar that holds it together. Our fantasy ended, Zach. I've made my choice. I chose the man with whom I built a foundation based on real memories, real heartache, real love. You need to accept yourself, Zach, if you truly want to be loved. Otherwise you'll just have to go out and find another memory-impaired drifter you can mold into the perfect woman and imprison in your perfect casita." Zach closed his eyes again. He didn't want to hear this, didn't want to endure this pain and rejection. He opened his mouth to whisper "Take me to that special place." But he froze when he realized there was no special place. "No! No! NO!"

"Show me the way, show me the way  
Take me tonight to the river  
And wash my illusions away  
Show me the way, show me the way  
Give me the strength and the courage  
To believe that I'll get there someday  
Show me the way"

Zach felt a hand on his shoulder, shaking him. "Zach! Wake up!" He bolted upright, gasping for breath. He gazed into the fire, briefly wondering if he was back at the casita. Then he realized that he had been dreaming. He stared up at Kendall, who looked concerned. In his dream, she had been broken. She had placed her loyalty and trust in Ethan, and he had broken her as surely as Alex Sr had broken Zach's mother. Zach had plotted to seduce Kendall so that she wouldn't keep Ethan in town and make it more possible that he would find out his real identity. However, it was too late. Ethan had taken the DNA test and now knew he was a Cambias. It was only a matter of time before he took over Cambias Industries and became corrupted by power. Would Kendall become a casualty of the curse, like in his dream? Or would she tell Ethan to go to hell? Why would he suddenly become more concerned about what happened to Kendall than his own son?

"Zach, are you okay? You were thrashing around, mumbling something about a safe place. What the hell were you dreaming about?" Zach took a deep breath. "Kendall…" His voice sounded even more gravelly than usual. He reached up and gripped her arm. Conflicting emotions rocketed through him. He wanted pull her down to him, make her forget about Ethan. Make him forget about Maria. She was so beautiful. She knew who he was, in fact she hated him. Or she did until they had been thrown together up here on this mountain. How did she feel about him now? Had it come to this? Was he so starved for someone to love him that he was prepared to lay his soul bare to a woman who had a reputation for grinding men up and using them to mulch her plants? Where was the control he once had? Where was his confidence? He had swaggered into Pine Valley full of both. Now they were in shreds, and this woman could possibly be the vulture who would finish him off.

Zach whispered, "Am I real, or am I an illusion?" Kendall frowned and lowered her head to look in his eyes. "You don't look like you're still dreaming." Her long flowing hair brushed against his shoulders. He took a deep, shuddering breath and handed the reigns completely over to his little personal demon. He took hold of her other arm and prepared to gently pull her down to him, hoping she wouldn't resist. He never got the opportunity to find out.

Someone was banging on the door. "Open the damn door! Hurry up! She's coming! Open up, dammit!" Zach quickly bounded out of bed, grabbed a fireplace poker, and swept open the door. Standing in the doorway, wearing nothing but a robe, a shaggy beard, and eyes full of savagry, was Todd Manning.


	10. Redux

Author's note: I decided that since, up to this point, the perspective has always been from Zach's point of view, that I would do one chapter devoted to Kendall's thoughts. Specifically, we are doing over the previous chapter from Kendall's point of view.

Chapter 10

Kendall came down the stairs armed with linens. As she entered the living room, she saw that Zach was unfolding the sofa bed. She also saw that he had stripped down to his underwear. She wondered if he was trying to needle her or if she was just paranoid. She doubted he was trying to impress her, but he did anyway. He must get out all that sexual frustration over Maria at the gym. After they made the bed, Zach abruptly lay down and pulled the blanket up over his shoulder. He didn't even ask her which side she wanted, sheesh.

Kendall started to move to the other side of the bed, and paused. Zach might be tired, but she wasn't. Her brain was going a mile a minute. If she turned in now, she wouldn't fall asleep for quite awhile, and she would eventually become consumed with thoughts about being in bed with Zach. Not that she was attracted to him, or anything. Of course not. She would only be thinking about it because this man was Michael's brother and Ethan's father. She had slept with both Michael and Ethan, and so naturally her thoughts would eventually meander in that direction. It had absolutely nothing to do with her realizing for the first time just how fine his body was. A nice body certainly didn't translate to attraction.

She glanced over at the reading nook. Maybe if she read for a little while, that would make her tired enough to go to sleep right away. She asked Zach if the reading light would bother him. He mumbled something about it being fine. She took a few steps towards the reading area. It was so quiet she could almost hear the snow falling. Some imp made her ask Zach if she could play some music. His response was more grumbly this time. She smirked as she turned on the reading lamp. Then she turned on the radio and adjusted the knob so there was no static. Disappointed that the holiday music had ended, she turned to look at the book shelf provided by the landlord. As she perused the pitiful selection, the words of the music on the radio began to penetrate her brain.

"Every night I say a prayer in the hope that there's a heaven  
And every day I'm more confused as the saints turn into sinners  
All the heroes and legends I knew as a child have fallen to idols of clay  
And I feel this empty place inside so afraid that I've lost my faith"

This was how she had felt, all those months that she thought Miranda was dead. As if that wasn't enough heartache, during that time she lost Ryan, in the most humiliating way possible. Her mother had gone on a bender. It just went on and on. The only good thing that had happened was that Ethan had come to town. Ethan, who understood her so completely. He was like a nice dip in a warm spring after she had been tromping through freezing rain. Yet somehow, her feelings for him didn't seem to flow like they should. He didn't seem like someone she could fall for. He was more like, as the saying goes, best friends with benefits. Was she unable to take that next step because she was still in love with Ryan? She shook her head. No, he had shattered her love in a million pieces when he rejected her so harshly. She still cared for him, just like she inexplicably cared for Greenlee. But the hurt was so deep. Anyway, it seemed clear that even though Ethan wasn't exactly Rebound Man, he wasn't going to be the love of her life, either.

"Show me the way, show me the way  
Take me tonight to the river  
And wash my illusions away  
Show me the way"

Kendall listened to the song a little more. The cynical side of her wanted to sneer at the idea that there was someone out there that could wash all her illusions away. But the little child in her pleaded in the same way that the song pleaded to show her the way. She thought of Miranda again, and how that sweet little girl had brought back some hope into her life. She would have liked for Miranda to show her the way, but that was too much responsibility for such tiny shoulders. Kendall would have to find peace on her own.

"Take me to the safe place." Kendall looked up, wondering if she heard correctly. Zach seemed to still be asleep, but his body was twitching and his forehead looked damp. He whispered the phrase again, almost sounding like a plaintive child. Then he sighed deeply, and was quiet again. Kendall stared at him. He was having a bad dream. This man who wielded power and swaggered in arrogance was actually distressed by some personal demon. Kendall wondered what it was about, maybe his past with his father? Up until now, she had always been so amazed by the fact that he had hidden his Cambias identity, that she had never really examined what had led him to take such a drastic step.

What else might have triggered a nightmare? Was he feeling remorse over what he did to Ethan? Was it Maria? They had obviously broken up while she was still Maureen, though Kendall didn't know the details. It seemed apparent to many people in Pine Valley that he wanted her back. It was also apparent that she was attracted to him, but had chosen Edmund. Kendall had never really thought about Zach as having feelings, but he must have feelings if he was pining for Maria. Kendall's eyes drooped, and her mind wandered to Ryan again. For awhile, after he rejected her, she could tell that he was still drawn to her, and she tried to exploit it. Her attempts hadn't worked. She had continued to be rejected over and over and over again. Was that what Zach dreamt about? Was he being rejected over and over again by a laughing demonic Maria, like Ryan did in her dreams? Kendall's eyes closed completely.

"And as I slowly drift to sleep, for a moment dreams are sacred  
I close my eyes and know there's peace in a world so filled with hatred  
That I wake up each morning and turn on the news to find we've so far to go  
And I keep on hoping for a sign, so afraid that I just won't know"

In her dream, Ryan was laughing at her again, his arm draped around Greenlee. This time, instead of hurt, Kendall felt rage. She wanted to go over and slap Ryan hard. The urge grew so great that she stood up. But instead of walking towards Ryan, she turned and walked to the door. As soon as she opened the door, she heard more laughing. She went through the door and saw Maria laughing. She sat in Edmund's lap, and she was staring at Zach in contempt. Kendall walked up to her and slapped her so hard that she flew to the ground. Feeling immense satisfaction, Kendall turned to see Zach's reaction. He smiled at her and held out his hand to her. "Thank you for showing me that she isn't worth the heartache." Kendall smiled back and took his hand. She turned her head to see Maria still crouched on the floor, holding her hand to her cheek. When she stood up, it was no longer Maria, but Erica who looked at her in horror. "What is it with you and these Cambias men?"

"Show me the way, show me the way  
Bring me tonight to the mountain  
And take my confusion away  
Show me the way, show me the way  
Give me the strength and the courage  
To believe that I'll get there someday  
Show me the way"

Kendall was startled awake by a wail of agony. She was stunned to see Zach writhing on the bed, crying "No, no, no!" She rushed over to him and jiggled his shoulder. He sat up abruptly, almost knocking her in the head. He looked at her, confusion in his eyes as he tried to come back to reality. Kendall asked him if he was okay and explained to him what he had done while asleep. His only response was to whisper her name and squeeze her arm. Kendall suddenly felt pulled back into the dream she had been having when Zach woke her up. Or was she still dreaming and none of this was real?

As if reading her mind, he whispered, "Am I real, or am I an illusion?" It sent shivers down her spine. Trying to make light of it, Kendall made a crack about him still dreaming. She lowered her head to see if his eyes were focused. Deciding that was a stupid idea because it brought her closer to him, she started to pull away when Zach's grip on her arm tightened. Her eyes widened. Engulfed by a confusing wave of emotion and physical desire, she almost didn't hear the banging and shouting from outside the cabin.


	11. Dance With the Devil

Chapter 11

Todd Manning started to come through the door, but Zach held up the fireplace poker. "You're not going anywhere." Todd glared at him and hissed, "She's going to wake up any moment and realize I'm not there. She'll come after me and she'll probably be armed." Zach looked unimpressed. "Its not my problem if you're having difficulty with the little woman." Todd took another step forward, but Zach put his hand up. "Damn it, you don't understand. She's psychotic." Kendall spoke up, tossing her head. "She'd have to be to come up here with you."

Todd looked ready to shove his way in fighting when there was a voice from behind him. "Todd, darling. Was it really necessary to disturb the neighbors? They're probably on their honeymoon, just like us. Why don't you come back to the cabin before…someone…gets hurt." Zach stared at the woman behind Todd. She gave every appearance of being perfectly normal. Years and years of interacting with the worst of humanity told him differently. Todd Manning was correct about this woman. Zach glanced down at her coat pockets, in which she kept her hands. One pocket bulged more than it should. He swore silently. Why the hell did he open the door? Zach debated whether he should slam the door in Manning's face, or attempt to save him. Involuntarily, Zach flashed on pictures from the newspaper articles he had read about Manning. Pictures of his two children that were utterly devoted to him.

Zach lowered the poker. "I apologize for assuming you were a crazed lunatic. Why don't you two come in for a cup of coffee?" Zach opened the door wider. Kendall protested, "Zach!" The woman behind Todd suddenly looked menacing. "Todd…" Seeming to sense Zach's purpose, Manning dived into the cabin, and Zach slammed the door behind him. Extremely grateful that the door was thick and reinforced, the bullet that was fired into it didn't get very far. Not taking any chances, though, Zach yelled to Kendall to run upstairs, and he began pushing random furniture in front of the door. Manning jumped up to help him.

However, he underestimated the lunatic's determination. He heard the sound of a window breaking, and saw that she had taken a piece of firewood from outside and shattered the glass. She fired a shot at Manning and hit his arm. He slumped to the ground. Kendall screamed from behind Zach, and he wanted to curse her for not doing as he ordered. The woman used the wood to clear the broken glass around the window and began to climb in. From behind the sofa, Zach tried to throw various objects to knock her out, but did not have much luck. Thinking about his handgun sitting uselessly in the SUV, Zach had never felt so helpless. He heard Kendall talking, but didn't want to turn and see what she was doing. Zach ran out of things to throw, and the woman had the gun levelled at him point blank. "How DARE you interfere with my personal business! I don't know who you are, but I am very upset that you found it necessary to rent THIS cabin at THIS forsaken time of year. You've ruined all my plans and now you have to PAY!" Zach saw that this woman had absolutely no mercy and could only pray that Kendall had escaped somehow.

The woman circled Zach so that she was behind him, and pressed the gun to the back of his head. He closed his eyes and knew that he was going to die. He wondered if anyone would mourn him. As all the regrets filled his head and threatened to choke him, he felt a roaring in his ears. It was so loud, that when he heard a dull thud he thought at first that the sound was his body hitting the floor. But when he opened his eyes, he was still crouching by the sofa. "Its okay, Zach." It was Kendall's voice. He looked around and saw Kendall standing there with a radio in her hand. The lunatic was on the floor, out cold. Kendall had clocked her with the radio. Kendall picked up the gun with her index finger and thumb, and dangled it in front of Zach. "Here, you're probably better with these than I am. I'll go see about Manning. I called 911 and the manager. Hopefully the cavalry is on its way."

She grabbed the top sheet from the sofa bed, and went over to Todd, who had dragged himself to the wall and was trying to sit up. "Let me wrap this arm for you." He shoved her hand away. "I need the phone. I need to call Bo and tell him where to find Blair." Zach narrowed his eyes. "Your ex-wife?" Todd ignored him. "Give me the phone, damn it! Margaret stuffed her in the trunk of a car and she's going to die if I don't get to her!"


	12. Raving Lunatics

Chapter 12

Margaret, the lunatic, was sitting in a chair with about 100 feet of rope wrapped around her. Zach had the gun pointed at her. The window was boarded up using various, well, board games and duct tape on hand. Manning's arm was wrapped. Bo, who turned out to be the police commissioner in Llanview, had gotten in touch with Manning to let him know that Blair had been found and was doing fine. The only problem was that because of the condition of the roads, the "cavalry" was taking awhile in getting there.

Kendall handed Zach a cup of coffee. She brought a cup to Manning. "If I give this to you, you're not going to throw it in her face, are you?" Wordlessly, Todd took the cup. Margarent tossed her head. "He wouldn't hurt me. I'm going to be the mother of his child." Kendall stopped cold. "Please tell me that you didn't kidnap him so that he would impregnate you." Margaret shrugged and looked pious. Kendall looked back at Zach, her eyes wide. He smirked. "Well, Kendall, I guess your theory was correct. You have more of a knack for understanding the sociopathic mind than you thought."

Todd looked over at Zach. "What theory? When were you discussing theories?" Kendall looked uncomfortable. She cleared her throat. "Earlier, I saw you outside and I saw her come and bring you back to the cabin. It seemed suspicious, and I guess I was right. Not knowing what was going on, we went over and peeked inside. We saw you two…um…you know. We figured all was well and came back here." Kendall fell silent. Zach picked up the story. "Once Kendall thought about it some, she decided that there was still something wrong with the whole scenario. It was the expressions on your faces. Not exactly romantic." Margaret spoke up. "It was romantic! The most beautiful experience…." Todd threw his cup to the ground. "Shut up! Shut up, you filthy pig! You will never speak of this again, do you hear? None of you will ever mention this ever again!"

There was silence for a moment. Margaret smiled serenely. "You can try to forget it all you like, but our child will be a constant reminder of our magical night together." Todd struggled to his feet and made to lunge for her, but Zach blocked him. "You're going to start bleeding again. She's not worth it!" Kendall turned to Margaret. "So what made you want to have Manning's love child? Its not like he has lots of fans out there. Sure, his tabloid is popular, but only for the type of people that wear tin foil hats. Oh wait, maybe you are one of those types. Did you think maybe he was an alien and that having his baby would land you on the cover of that rag?"

Margaret glared at Kendall. "Don't you talk about him that way! Todd is a wonderful man. A doting father. It was easy to fall in love with him. I only wished he could have loved me back. I decided that if I couldn't have him, then I could have his child, and the child would love me as no one else could." Kendall shook her head. "You mean to tell me that you have such low self-esteem that you thought having this man's child would be your salvation? Not only is that incredibly stupid, but its also cruel. No child should have that burden. Having a child is not the answer to anyone's problems." Margaret laughed. "Look who's talking! The sister of Bianca Montgomery. Talk about salvation! Brutally raped, she decided to keep her attacker's child. Then the poor baby dies, and is commemorated by the building of a support center in her honor. But lo, the baby Miranda lives after all. Her mother comes out of a coma, and all live happily ever after. It is a beautiful story, and I know that my little angel will be just like Miranda."

Margaret didn't get any further. Kendall had grabbed a fistful of hair and had pulled her head back. "Don't you EVER talk about my niece in the same sentence as that spawn you have growing in your twisted body." She slapped a strip of duct tape over Margaret's mouth. Manning looked at Kendall thoughtfully. "I thought I recognized you. It didn't click until just now." Kendall glared at him. "I'm surprised you didn't know who I was instantly. Your newspaper has certainly splashed my name and face all over it often enough." Todd smirked. "Yes, you've provided some good fodder over the years. My personal favorite is you getting your 'maternity' dress ripped off in court. Priceless! People think we make stuff up at The Sun, but who needs to? The news writes itself." Zach spoke up. "You should know. The story of your wife accusing you of rape, only for it to be a brain tumor….well that was worthy of some grins and giggles."

There was a long pause, and then Todd narrowed his eyes. "You're the brother aren't you? The one who should have inherited the Cambias billions. You haven't been in Pennsylvania long, but you've certainly made a name for yourself. Now that I realize who you are, I have to wonder why you and Ms. Hart here are shacked up in a cabin together. I would have thought she wouldn't be caught dead with the brother of Michael Cambias. Especially since I've heard rumors that she's shacking up with the man who claimed to be your son. Is he your son? Is Ms. Hart here working her way through all the Cambias men, and you were next in line? Too bad she couldn't get to your father before he died. Or did she? If I recall, she was in Vegas pretending to marry Michael around the time that your father bit the big one. I bet he died with a smile on his face."

Zach's smile was deadly and his eyes were cold. "You certainly weren't smiling a couple of hours ago when Margaret here was pounding away on top of you. No sir. You were realizing for the first time exactly what that college girl felt when you were pounding away at her and invited all your friends to do the same. It makes me smile to finally realize that at least sometimes there is justice in the world." Kendall stepped in between the two men. "Save your pissing contest for later. I just checked the window. The cops have finally arrived. I can tell you one thing, I am NEVER going to stay in a mountain cabin ever again. Nothing good ever comes of it."


	13. Love Is Only Sleeping

Author's note: Once again, you can hear a clip of the song if you go to Amazon or a similar website. Plus, I put a little note in the reviews section.

Chapter 13

Zach and Kendall rode home in his SUV, following and trailed by two police SUVs. For awhile there was utter silence, not even the radio that Kendall seemed to favor. Zach glanced over to see if she was sleeping. She wasn't. He decided to ask her something that had piqued his curiosity. "You said back there that you were done with remote cabins. Something about nothing good coming of it. Have you had a similar experience?"

Kendall groaned. "A couple of years ago a bunch of us ended up at a cabin in the woods, There was this Argentinian guy who was dating Greenlee. Some guys wanted to kill him, I don't remember why. His name was Juan Pablo. Pablo was at the cabin with Greenlee. Then Ryan drove me there. Somehow Aidan and Mia showed up, also. Anyway, there we all were, and I was so miserable. We were all bedhopping – not in the way you think. Ryan just wouldn't leave Greenlee alone, he kept insisting that they were just friends and he had to help her. I knew there was more to it than that and boy was I right, huh? Anyway, the bad guys showed up with a bomb and there was gunfire - it was terrifying. Edmund came to warn Juan Pablo, and then Maria showed up to warn Edmund. That was when he was shot and lost function in his legs. Man, what an awful night that was."

Zach didn't want to think about Maria and Edmund. "Why was Ryan always wanting to help Greenlee?" Kendall shook his head. "I think it started out with him wanting to be close to Leo's widow. Ryan was friends with Leo duPres, Greenlee's husband who died. Ryan's wife, Gillian, had died also, so they shared that connection. Plus, lets face it, he has a savior complex. He is convinced that everyone in town needs his help. And since Greenlee is always so needy, they are perfect for each other. The two of them are so self-absorbed they've created their own little black hole right in Pine Valley." Zach smirked. "I can't say that I disagree. But it sounds like you're still pretty bitter about it. Is it because you didn't come out on top of the whole mess, or are you still in love with Ryan?"

Kendall stared at him. "You do like to needle me don't you? What a strange question. Trying to determine if I really have a heart, and whether it was broken? It does…inflame me that Greenlee took something important from me, but only because she is the most smug person on the planet on a normal day. But I rarely come out on top, anyway. I'm sort of used to my life crashing around me on a regular basis." Zach allowed himself a moment to stare at Kendall in contemplation. "From what I've heard, you've made some pretty spectacular mistakes. But other times you threw it all away for someone you loved. I don't think I was ever more impressed than when Myrtle told me about all that you did for Bianca after Michael died." Kendall turned a deep shade of red. "You…you and Myrtle spoke about me? I don't know whether to be more amazed that she spoke favorably of me…or that she was having a conversation with you that didn't involve ripping you to shreds. She must like you." Zach grinned. "I think she does. I feel like I've been given the highest honor in the land." Kendall laughed. "You have! And apparently I have too, though I didn't know it. I think that is one of my biggest problems. I'm always blustering around so much that I don't take time to sit and listen to the quiet voice of wisdom."

They drove in silence again for a while. Zach tapped his fingers against the steering wheel. "You never answered the second part of my question. Are you still in love with Ryan?" Kendall shook her head. "How is it any of your business?" Zach raised an eyebrow. "Well, you are dating my son. I just want to know if he'll get dumped because he's Rebound Man." Kendall scoffed. "It's still none of your business since you pretended he wasn't your son." Zach sighed. "I don't want to get into that again. Just answer the question." Kendall narrowed her eyes. "You don't care about Ethan at all. You have some other reason for wanting to know. What is it?" Zach gave her a wicked grin. "Maybe I'm hoping that Ethan is Rebound Man so that I can swoop in and be the man you really fall hard for." Kendall glared at him for a few long moments. "Fine, you're not going to tell me. What the heck, I'll answer the question anyway. I did love Ryan. Incredibly. Unbearably. But that love is dead." She stared pensively out the window. Zach murmured. "Sometimes love is only sleeping." She frowned at him. "What?" Zach shrugged. "Its an old song. It goes, 'Then she turned away and said, Once I loved, but love is dead. And he whispered, Sometimes love is only sleeping.' I think you remind me a lot of the girl in that song."

Kendall looked down at her hands in her lap, as if not sure what to think of that. "What are the rest of the words?" Zach opened the cubby between the seats and pulled out his CD case. He handed it to her. "Find the one called Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones." She flipped through the CDs until she found it. "The Monkees?" she asked incredulously. Zach laughed. "They aren't all bubble gum songs. Go ahead and put it in." Shrugging, she slipped the CD into the player and skipped to the song.

"She looked at me

And the emptiness in her eyes was cruel to see

Then she turned away and said,

"Once I loved, but love is dead"

And I whispered, "Sometimes love is only sleeping"

She said, "I cannot cry

And I cannot give or feel or even try"

And her voice was hard and cold

Then her sweet young face looked old

And I whispered, "Sometimes love is only sleeping"

Through the endless days and nights

She could not help but wrap herself in sorrow (sorrow)

Through the endless days and nights

She waited for a shiny new tomorrow

Love was sleeping, sleeping

She looked at me

And her smiling tears were warm and sweet and free

And the moonlight kissed her eyes

As it mingled with our sighs

And she whispered, "Sometimes love is only sleeping"

And she whispered, "Sometimes love is only sleeping"

Only sleeping..."


	14. Awakened by Hope

Chapter 14

There was a long silence after the last note died away. Zach turned off the player. "Well?" She rolled her eyes. "Okay, you're right. It isn't all bubble gum music." Zach gave her an exasperated look. She folded her arms. "What do you want me to say, Zach? That I've found my life's anthem?" Zach laughed. "Nothing so profound. I just think it's a melencholy little song, that's all." Kendall shook her head. "But what is it supposed to mean?" Zach thought for awhile. "It is a song of hope, which is really more important than love itself. You can be in the sad position of not having love in your life – and I don't mean just romantic love, but any kind of love. But even if you don't have it, there is always that hope that it will come. When hope is gone too, then you really are in a sorry state."

Kendall glanced over at Zach. "I thought you said it wasn't profound." Zach shrugged. "Anything, no matter how deep or shallow, can give you some food for thought. Something as benign as the Monkees can start a chain of events that changes the course of your life." Kendall's eyes widened. "Ooookay. I have a feeling you're speaking from personal experience. Care to clarify?" There was a long silence. "When I was an adolescent, the Monkees used to come on after the Saturday morning cartoons. My father told me that he didn't want me watching it. No son of his was going to watch a show that glorified laziness and irresponsibility. I did end up watching it, whenever I had a sleepover at someone else's house. I was fascinated by the show. Here were these young men who didn't go into the office every day. They were musicians that just wanted to have fun. The only purpose for making money was for rent and food. And they cared about each other. There was disappointment whenever one of them screwed up, but no other recriminations. It was a fantasy world for me. I remember I even tried to learn an instrument so that I could join a band. I was terrible at it." Zach chuckled. "Anyway, seeing this show started me on the road to yearning for something more out of my life. It eventually led to my plot to fake my death so I could escape my father's plans for me."

There was more silence. Kendall cleared her throat. "I'm not trying to be snide, but I have to point out that you turned out exactly as your father would have shaped you. You are an extremely wealthy and powerful business man. And you have made attempts to manipulate your own son, trying to point his life in a certain direction without giving him any input or say in the matter. What more could your father have asked for?" Zach's eyes narrowed. "He would have wanted me to be wealthy and powerful and still under his thumb. I suppose I could pull out the old Sinatra line and say that the difference is that I did it my way. But you make a valid point. Instead of joining a band and living a carefree existence with three friends, I turned out to be very similar to my father. It is true. I think that is because I spent the majority of my formative years under his influence. Michael was there longer, and look what happened to him. I got out early enough not to have my heart completely rot out – at least I hope so – but apparently not early enough to leave behind the drive for success. That is why I had high hopes for Ethan. He did not grow up a Cambias. I figured that if he continued to be untainted by the wealth and the power, that he would never be even remotely like the other men in his family."

Kendall shook her head. "It doesn't work that way, Zach. I mean, this happens all the time, but it is still wrong. People who have bad childhoods think that if they give their children the opposite experience, then their children will be much happier. That is not how it turns out. Life is hard, no matter what walk of life you are from. Ethan might have been much happier if his father had embraced him, and shown him how to run an empire in a way that would not have rotted his heart out. Now he has to learn how to run an empire and deal with the fact that his father denied him."

Zach eased into a freshly plowed parking space at their condo development. He turned off the ignition and stared at the steering wheel. "I can't really say whether Ethan would have been happier in any of these scenarios. I can only deal with the scenario that exists in reality. Your mother hurt you very deeply when she rejected you. Yet you and she now share a love that is much, much deeper. For you, Kendall, love isn't sleeping. It is fully awake and alive in the form of Erica, Bianca, Miranda, and all your other family and friends. I did have love, but she walked away from me. Twice. Now that love is sleeping, and my only hope for it to awaken is if Ethan forgives me. I know you hate me, Kendall, but will you help me? Will you try to convince Ethan to look past my betrayal and see my good intentions?"


	15. Another Danger Lurks

Chapter 15

Zach walked in the door of his condo, and threw his keys on the side table. He sat down on his couch and closed his eyes. What was he thinking? He practically implored Kendall to help him patch up what was left of his shredded family. Where had that come from? It must have been the little demon that had been plagueing him all night. It was apparently upset that he wasn't killed by Crazy Margaret, it wanted Kendall to finish the job. Fortunately she hadn't ridiculed his plea for help. She'd simply given him a sharp, assessing gaze and told him she'd think about it.

Zach checked his cell phone messages. There was an urgent call from one of his spies. He called him back and listened intently to the latest news. When Zach hung up, his face was grim. He strode out of the condo and across the courtyard. He flung open the door to Kendall's condo. She was sitting on her couch with her eyes closed, much as he had been doing moments ago. "Why the hell isn't your door locked?" Her eyes flew open. "I'm beginning to wonder that myself. What are you doing here, Zach? I told you I'd think about it." He made a dismissive gesture and glanced at her answering machine. The light was blinking. "You haven't listened to your messages, have you?" She rolled her eyes. "I didn't feel like dealing with other people's problems right now."

Zach went over and stabbed the Play button. He turned up the volume to cover Kendall's protests. There was a message from Erica. "Kendall, I need you to call me right away. Some horrible things have been uncovered that I think you need to know about. I also want to make sure you're safe." There was a beep, and the next message was from Jackson. "Kendall, please pick up the phone if you're there. Your mother is in hysterics. Frankly, I'm concerned too. We need to make sure you are okay. Call me back on the cell phone because we aren't at home." There was a beep, and the next voice was Ryan. "Kendall, I'm so sorry about this. I hope you're alright. Please be safe. I couldn't stand it if anyone got seriously hurt or worse because of…damn it!" There was a beep and then the next message played. Instead of a voice, there was some breathing, and then whoever it was hung up. Zach glanced over at Kendall. "I'm willing to bet you have more messages on your cell phone."

Kendall's mouth gaped open. "What the hell was that all about? Did someone call and tell them about Crazy Margaret and then forget to say that everything is fine?" Zach shook his head. "Unfortunately, we were not the only ones terrorized by a psychotic tonight. I just heard about it from a friend down at the police station. Jonathan Lavery confessed to poisoning Greenlee. And taking a shot at Ryan." Kendall's hands went to her mouth. "What! I suspected he was the one poisoning Greenlee, but…but shooting his own brother! I can't take this in." She sank down on the couch. Zach sat beside her. "Apparently Jonathan was abusing Maggie. Bianca and Reggie suspected and started trying to get Maggie to leave him. They finally got through to her, and as she was packing up to leave, she found some evidence. Jonathan went berserk and was about to kill her when Bianca and Reggie showed up. He bolted, and hasn't been seen since. After Maggie made her statement, Jackson bundled her, Bianca, Miranda and Greenlee off to someplace safe until they can find Jonathan. I'm guessing they want to make sure that Jonathan hasn't come after you."

Kendall put her head in her hands. "I wonder if that heavy breathing message was Jonathan. I can't believe this is happening. The closer we got to Pine Valley tonight, the safer I felt. Now this." Zach put his hands on her shoulders. "I'm going to keep you safe, Kendall. Jonathan isn't going to touch one curl on that head of yours." She looked up, wide-eyed. "Is that why you came over here? You were worried about me?" Zach grinned. "No, I just wanted another shot at sleeping in your bed." She smirked. "Well, that was supposed to be for warmth. I don't think its necessary in this situation." Zach shook his head, suddenly serious. "No, this time it's vital. How much protection can I possibly be on the couch here, or in the next bedroom, or even in a chair three feet away? We've had a long, exhausting night so far, and I can't guarantee that I would be sleeping lightly enough to hear Jonathan break in. I need to be right on top of you, so that he would literally have to go through me to get to you."

Kendall raised one eyebrow. "Right on top of me?" Zach's eyes gleamed. "My flesh will be the armor that protects your flesh." Kendall cocked her head. "Is that a quote from something?" Zach rubbed his chin. "It's from 'The Seduction of Kendall,' the unfinished story of a woman…who longs to be wanted." Kendall shrugged. "Plenty of men want me." Zach gazed at her for a moment. "Wanted above anything else in the world." Kendall stared at him, something unreadable flashing in her eyes.


	16. Coffee and Christmas Trees

Chapter 16

Kendall said goodbye to her mother, reassuring her one last time that she was alright, then hung up the phone. "Phew! She was so relieved that I was okay, that I didn't have to go into detail about our cabin adventures. She's had enough stress for one night." She played with a pencil that had been sitting next to the telephone. "Well, I'm really tired now, so I'll go to bed. I'll get you a blanket for the couch." Zach gazed at her. "Maybe you forgot, but I said that in order to protect you, I would need to be in your room." She started walking towards the hallway. "Well, there's a chaise lounge in my room, but its probably not too comfortable for sleeping." She reached the doorway of her room and turned around. Zach leaned his arm on the door frame. "In your bed, Kendall. You're not going to start getting maidenly vapors, are you?" She folded her arms. "Last time I heard, there still isn't a need for ice skates in hell."

He gently put his hands on her arms and moved her aside so he could enter the room first. He made a sweep of the room, inspecting the closet and master bathroom. He also checked under the bed. "All clear. Time for beddy bye." She glared at him and went into the bathroom. She put her hair into a pony tail, ran some water, and began taking off her makeup. She pulled a packaged toothbrush out of a drawer and tossed it to Zach. They brushed their teeth in silence. She grabbed a nightgown from her dresser, and emphatically closed the door to the bathroom so she could change. Zach stripped down to his boxers and got into bed. Kendall came out of the bathroom and wordlessly got into bed. He glanced over at her. "I have to admit I'm surprised that you gave in so quickly about me sleeping in your bed tonight. I half-expected an 'I can take care of myself' speech and a door slammed in my face."

Kendall sighed deeply. "You and everyone else knows that I am extremely independent. But I'm also practical. Single women have it tough. We can keep our doors and windows locked, take self-defense classes, and sleep with guns, knives, and mace under our pillow. But the plain and simple truth is that the best deterrent is a man in your bed. I think most of the women that get married these days do it so they don't have to lie awake at night wondering if they'll be some psycho's next target. In my case, tonight, that fear has been realized. Ethan has disappeared off the face of the earth. Ryan has Greenlee to worry about. And there is way too much ick factor involved in asking Jackson to stay with me. So really, its not that far-fetched that I would jump at your offer to put a solid body between me and Jonathan Lavery."

Zach contemplated that for a moment. "I would hug you right now and tell you that it will be all right. But I think you might punch me in the stomach." Kendall started laughing. He smiled, glad that she could have a moment of levity. This night had been a nightmare for her, and part of it was largely his fault. He had put her in danger because of his stupid isolated cabin scheme. Well, it hadn't really been a scheme. More of a silly idea that took on a life of its own. He looked over and saw that Kendall had fallen asleep. Unable to resist the urge, he carefully gathered her up in his arms. She sighed and nestled her head farther into his shoulder. Drifting off to sleep, he wondered how a woman like her could be so cynical and so vulnerable at the same time.

Zach was startled into wakefullness by the sensation that he was being watched. He opened his eyes and saw Ryan Lavery standing in the doorway. Light was streaming through the window, indicating that it was morning. "You're not the Lavery I expected to break into this place." Kendall's eyes flew open and she stared at Ryan. Then she sighed. "Well, that's because you aren't familiar with my morning routine. You see, I seem to wake up a lot these days with either Ryan or Greenlee or both staring at me. More effective than an alarm clock. So Ryan, is Greenlee with you today?" The words were no sooner out of her mouth when Greenlee walked in the door carrying a coffee can. "Do you drink this or use it to scour your kitchen sink? Oh my. Yet another Cambias in your bed. Well. I bet Alex, senior is down in hell wishing he hadn't bit the big one so soon." Kendall glared at her. "I'll tell you what big one you can bite." Zach cleared his throat. "Leave me out of this, ladies. I'll assume, Kendall, that you're safe with these two while I nip to the bathroom." He slipped out of bed and walked into the bathroom. Greenlee pretended not to stare at his bare chest. "I guess I'll go make some…er…coffee."

Zach didn't really have to use the facilities. He just knew that Ryan wasn't going to say a word in his presence. He shamelessly listened through the door. "Kendall…I don't know what to say about Jonathan. I feel terrible that you are in danger because of my brother." The bed creaked. "Ryan, I'm the one who slept with a total stranger. I was blinded by the need for payback. Stupid moves like that sometimes reap terrible consequences." The voices moved a little farther away. "Kendall, you need to go away with Greenlee until I can find Jonathan and settle this once and for all." Kendall laughed. "And end up with us killing each other? That would be doing Jonathan's job for him. No, I'm fine here in town. I'm the last target on Jonathan's list. He's not going to waste his time going after me. You need to focus on protecting Greenlee, Maggie, and most importantly, Bianca and Miranda." There was a deep sigh. "Kendall, you need to pack a bag and come with us, now." Kendall's voice rose a notch. "And you need to turn your butt around and walk out my door. It should be a piece of cake for you, having done it enough times before."

In the ensuing silence, Zach decided to re-enter the fray. "Well, I feel totally refreshed. Kendall, that is one comfortable mattress you have, there. I'd love to know where you bought it. Or maybe you'll just let me sleep on yours for awhile longer." Kendall smirked at him. "If you want to sleep on my mattress, I have no problem with that. I'll take cash or money order, but I don't include shipping to your condo." Ryan threw up his hands. "I really don't need to listen to this. I have more important things to do." Kendall rolled her eyes. "Yes, saving the world is such a huge burden. Don't fatigue yourself for our sakes. Bye bye now." Ryan glared at her, then walked out the door. "There, see. That's the Ryan I know and loved."

When the front door had emphatically slammed, Kendall's shoulders drooped and she sat on the bed. Before Zach could open his mouth to say some comforting words, Kendall tossed her hair and stood up, a manic look in her eyes. "Well, since Greenlee won't be around to run Fusion, I better get my tail over there and make sure the place doesn't go to pot. Oh wait, I haven't put up my Christmas tree yet. Or maybe I should look for Ethan. He'll be relieved to know that he's off the hook for Ryan's murder attempt." She bit her lip. Zach put his hands on her shoulders. "You apparently don't need that coffee Greenlee made. Good thing, it smells awful. I have some people looking for Ethan. Until he contacts you, there's really nothing else you can do. I'm sure Fusion will run itself smoothly for the brief time that you and Greenlee are away, since I know for a fact that Jonathan will be found soon."

Kendall narrowed her eyes. "So you're saying that in all this chaos, I should decorate my Christmas tree? Just fa la la la la everything out of my mind?" Zach gulped. "Yes. I suppose I am. Break out the tinsel." Kendall smirked. "You don't have to join me. Its obvious that the very idea repels you." Zach forced a smile. "Of course not. My favorite activity in the world is sipping spiced cider and leaning precariously over a tree to get the star positioned just so." Kendall clapped her hands together. "Spiced cider! I think I have the ingredients for that. I can make it in that crock pot I got from a Fusion employee who obviously doesn't know me very well." She headed for the living room. "But first things first. The tree!" Zach felt ill. "You aren't going to make me chop one down are you?" Kendall smiled wickedly and grabbed a stepladder from the kitchen. She carried it to a closet door. Rummaging in the top shelf of the closet, she produced a long narrow box. "Timber!" She slid it down to Zach and he caught it. "As much as I'd like to torture you with manual labor, I already have an artificial tree. I didn't grow up in a Norman Rockwell family, so I don't really know what to do with a real tree. The needles would probably all fall off the first day." Zach contemplated the box. "My family always used real trees. But Christmas was so miserable, that after awhile the smell of pine became toxic to me. I do have one fond memory. One Christmas my father lit up a cigar near the tree and it caught fire. It was amazing how fast it went up in flames. My mom looked on the bright side. She got to remodel the living room."

Kendall raised one eyebrow. "Well, I don't think you have to worry about my tree reminding you of the ghosts of Christmas trees past." She opened the box and pulled out the tree. It was short, it was white, and it was shiny. Zach blinked. "You're right, that certainly can't be found in nature." He cocked his head. "I guess I won't have to lean precariously over it, either." Kendall grinned and punched a button on her radio. Holiday music began flooding the condo. "The other boxes on that shelf are the decorations. You get them, and I'll start the cider." She walked towards the kitchen, her hips swaying to the music. Zach began to think that he might enjoy himself after all.


	17. The Truth Hurts

Author's note: The song featured in this chapter is "This Love" By Maroon 5, on their Songs About Jane album. If you aren't familiar with it, a clip can be heard on Amazon.

Chapter 17

Kendall giggled at Zach's third attempt to get the star straight on the tree. For the third time it tilted when he let go. He shook his head and decided to fill his mug with more cider. "I'm curious. What does Erica think of this tree?" Kendall burst into another fit of giggles. "Poor thing was flabbergasted. On the one hand, she wanted to be snobby like Phoebe Wallingford and hate it. On the other hand, my mother loves all things glamorous. It has so much sparkle and flash that she couldn't help but love it. I said, 'Admit it, mother, this tree calls to you like a giant diamond ring.' She gave me a sly look and said, 'Fifty thousand carats.'" Zach threw his head back and laughed. Kendall was laughing so hard that tears were streaming down her face.

Zach recovered himself and then peered suspiciously into his mug of cider. "What did you put in this stuff, Kendall? I can't even taste it, but it sure has pulled a number on me." Kendall looked at him with impishness. "Zach, I didn't put any alcohol in it. It is completely virgin cider. You, my friend, are high on life." He stared at her in disbelief. It had been so long since he had laughed so freely, that he had assumed it was because of a relaxing agent. The truth was that he was having a genuinely good time with Kendall. Doing holiday activities, no less. It blew his mind.

Zach slowly sipped his cider as he watched Kendall fuss over the tree. There was a genuine look of delight on her face as she looked over various ornaments. He hadn't been bored when she told him stories about each one. She looked up at him, and their eyes locked for a moment. Pink tinged her cheeks ever so slightly. She looked to her right, towards the picture window. Her eyebrows rose, and she glanced at Zach. He looked over and saw that a woman was standing at his door, looking through the window to see if he was inside. It was Maria. His heart felt like a vise was slowly squeezing it tight. He looked back at Kendall. She gave him an "I don't mind if you split" look. He took a deep breath and stood up. He walked to the door, but it felt like his legs were hollow and filled with stones.

When Zach opened the door, Maria whirled around. "Oh! I..uh…I guess it didn't occur to me you would be at….Kendall's. Oh wait, of course. Ethan is living there. Were you spending time with him? That would be fantastic!" Zach shook his head. "Actually, Ethan has gone AWOL. No one knows where he is. I was looking out for Kendall. I don't know if you've heard. Jonathan Lavery turned out to be psychotic and Kendall is one of his targets." Maria nodded slowly. "I have heard about Jonathan. After Edmund heard the news from Ryan, he put two and two together and realized that the mystery voice he'd heard on his cell phone was Jonathan. I tried to point out to him that it proved you were not guilty of any wrongdoing, and that he should drop his vendetta against you. He blew up at me and insisted that you were evil incarnate."

A voice behind them spoke. "Edmund is right, Zach Slater is evil incarnate." They turned around and saw Ethan standing there. "Or maybe I'm thinking of Darth Vader. Same thing really." Maria glanced at Zach in bewilderment. "Ethan is referring to the recent revelation that I'm his father. He and Miranda did a DNA comparison." Maria covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes filled with compassion. Ethan looked disconcerted that Zach already knew about the DNA test. He lifted his chin. "I bet you've been wondering where I've been since yesterday. I know you've been looking for me. My spies told me about your spies. Yes, I have spies now. The board at Cambias Industries welcomed me with open arms. Channels were opened to me just like that. And for my first act of power, I…"

The door to Kendall's apartment flew open. "Ethan! Where have you been? Never mind, you need to come inside." Ethan looked back at Kendall. "In just a minute. There is something important I need to tell my father." She grabbed his arm. "Not more important than your freedom." Ethan stared at her. "Please come with me. Zach can wait until later." Ethan looked back at Zach, who smiled. "With bated breath." Ethan's eyes narrowed, but he followed Kendall into her apartment. Maria put her hand on Zach's arm. "Lets go into your condo. Its freezing out here." He nodded his assent and unlocked his door.

When they were both inside, Maria pulled Zach to her and kissed him. Stunned, Zach put his arms around her. She held him tighter, deepening the kiss. Zach wasn't sure what to make of her sudden aggression, but his body was perfectly fine with it. This went on for several long moments, then Maria finally pulled away. "I'm sorry, Zach. I don't know what came over me. No, that's not true." She took off her coat and started pacing. "Its been building all day. I told you about last night. Edmund found out about Jonathan, which inexplicably led to a fight about you. He ended up sleeping in one of the guest rooms. This morning he was cold as ice. I've never seen him this way. I told him that I was fed up with his accusations, and that he needed to trust me. He told me that his trust in me died the day I chose Aidan over him. Even though I still hadn't recovered my memory at that point, he was so deeply hurt by that act. And then losing his legs compounded it. I finally realized that our marriage really did end that night my plane crashed. Everything that happened after that put huge unrepairable gouges in our relationship. I feel like my world is crashing, Zach. I came here to talk to you, and now I see that you have some pretty heavy burdens yourself. That's why I kissed you, just now. I needed….I needed a release. And I thought maybe you did too. If not, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for using you to ease the pain." Zach held his hand up. "Maria, you never have to apologize. The past five years has been one roller coaster after another for you."

Maria shook her head and sat down. She put her head in her hands. "I want to be angry at you for coming to town, and making no bones about wanting me back. But honestly, I should be grateful. You sped up the inevitable. Without your influence, the breakdown of my marriage would have been much slower and much more painful." Zach poured her favorite drink and handed it to her. As she took a fortifying sip, he glanced out the window. He could see straight into Kendall's apartment. She and Ethan were arguing. Ethan's hands were waving about. He inadvertently knocked the star off the tree. Zach turned away from the window. "Let's get out of here. We can go to my casino and get some dinner." Maria tapped her foot. "I have a better idea. Lets go to SOS. Remember back in the desert, every so often we'd drive to that little honkey tonk and dance the night away? I feel bad for saying this, but…I've missed dancing so much."

Zach smiled at her tenderly. "They have dancing at my casino." Maria waved her hand at him. "No offense, but all they play is jazz standards. I want a driving beat. I want to feel the music pound in my veins." Zach took her hand, and without another word they left the condo. When they arrived at SOS, Zach opened the door and the driving beat that Maria had been looking for slammed him in the face. He looked back at her and she grinned from ear to ear. They entered and Maria glanced at the stage area. "Darn, they don't have a live band tonight. I guess its piped in." She shed her coat and started dancing. When Zach was a teenager, he hadn't been interested in doing what was called the "White man's overbite," so he had taken dance lessons. Maria had also taught him some latin dances in their casita. Tonight, though, he could barely keep up with her. It seemed as if all her inner demons were being released.

Zach jerked a thumb to indicate he was heading to the bar. She barely gave him a nod. When he approached the bar, he was startled to see that Ethan and Kendall were sitting there. He wondered how they had gotten there before him. They looked like they were still arguing. Why in the world would they bring their argument to SOS? Kendall turned away from Ethan, a look of intense pain and confusion on her face. Zach stepped forward, an incredible urge to comfort her overwhelmed him. He felt a hand on his shoulder. It ws Maria. "I love this song. Dance with me, Zach. Hold me close."

She pulled his arms around her and put her head on his shoulder. Zach recognized the opening notes to "This Love" by Maroon 5. Closing his eyes, swaying with Maria in his arms, he listened to the words pounding into his head.

_I was so high I did not recognize  
The fire burning in her eyes  
The chaos that controlled my mind  
Whispered goodbye and she got on a plane  
Never to return again  
But always in my heart_

_This love has taken its toll on me  
She said Goodbye too many times before  
And her heart is breaking in front of me  
I have no choice cause I won't say goodbye anymore_

_I tried my best to feed her appetite  
Keep her coming every night  
So hard to keep her satisfied  
Kept playing love like it was just a game  
Pretending to feel the same  
Then turn around and leave again_

Images flooded Zach's mind of the time they had spent at the casita. Their love had been wild, passionate. It had also been a house of cards. He carried secrets of the life he had escaped by faking his death. She carried secrets of the life she couldn't remember, her mind filled only with the lies told to her by David Hayward. Neither spoke of their past, pledging only to love the person that they were right now. But Maria had been unable to sustain that cocoon. She left him without a word.

_This love has taken its toll on me  
She said Goodbye too many times before  
And her heart is breaking in front of me  
I have no choice cause I won't say goodbye anymore _

I'll fix these broken things  
Repair your broken wings  
And make sure everything's alright  
My pressure on your hips  
Sinking my fingertips  
Into every inch of you  
Cause I know that's what you want me to do

But here she was, right now again. In his arms again. She had finally forsaken Edmund for him. Well, not exactly. She was with him now only because her marriage to Edmund crumbled. Zach squeezed his eyes shut. What the hell had he wanted anyway? Had he really come to town hoping that she would dump Edmund and her family the instant she found out he was there? Zach suddenly felt like the room was tilting. He realized that what he really wanted could never happen. He wanted her to have never left the casita. Things were too different now. Their secrets were out in the open. Ugly, wounding secrets that stood before them and demanded to be acknowledged.

_This love has taken its toll on me  
She said Goodbye too many times before  
And her heart is breaking in front of me  
I have no choice cause I won't say goodbye anymore_

The music died and Zach abruptly let go of Maria. She looked at him in bewilderment. "I need to sit down for a moment." He went to the bar, on the opposite end from Ethan and Kendall. He sat down, and rested his forehead in his hands. The dream he'd had in the cabin came slamming back to him in full force. The love Maria built with Edmund had been solid and real. Their relationship was over, now, but it had taken heavy artillery to make it happen. If something like that could happen to Edmund and Maria, what could happen to Zach's relationship with Maria? The first stiff breeze might knock them over. Bile rose in Zach's throat as he tried to make sense of it all. Could it be that the only reason Zach had remained in love with Maria was sheer pigheadedness? When Maureen left him, he had heard his father's voice in his head, laughing derisively at his foolish romantic notions. Determined to show his father's ghost that true love was real and pure, he had cradled his love for her close to him. He did not let go for years, and continued to search for her. When he finally found her, what had he done? He'd developed some half-baked scheme to get her back, and blundered back into her life like a bull in a china shop. Was it because he wanted to prove to the world that he and Michael hadn't ended up like their father? He had been convinced that Michael wasn't a rapist, and was so sure that Maria would run straight into his arms.

Zach felt like he couldn't breathe. Maria was behind him, trying to get him to tell her what was wrong. Her voice sounded very far away. He looked up and saw Kendall staring at him from the other end of the bar. There was liquid fire in her eyes. Zach was both bewildered and scorched by it. Abruptly, the fire was replaced by a look of warning. She glanced over at Ethan, who was now making his way to Zach with grim determination. Zach probably should have felt guilty for wanting to punch the smug look from Ethan's face, but he didn't. Ethan leaned over."I'm not quite sure how you managed to get Kendall to plead your case, but I have to say that was a smooth play. But it was too little, too late. As I was about to tell you before, my first act of power was to place a few calls and make sure that your gaming licenses were revoked. That's right, father dearest. Your casinos are now just fancy little arcades. I'm a bit surprised your flunkies haven't told you yet."

Zach realized that he had turned his cell phone off, earlier. He checked it now. There were about a dozen calls from his second in command, and a few from his private investigator. He stared at the phone for awhile, then realized that Maria was lecturing Ethan. "The only reason he lied was to protect you from becoming like his father. For heaven's sake, he faked his death to escape that man. And now his worst fears have come true. One whiff of power and money and the first thing you used it for was revenge." Zach almost laughed. Here he was, in the presence of his son and the woman he had wanted to marry, and he felt suffocated by them. Unable to take anymore, Zach left without another word, simply melting into the crowd until he was gone.


	18. The Truth Redux

Author's note: This chapter is a redux of the previous chapter, from Kendall's point of view.

Chapter 18

Kendall adjusted one of the ornaments she had received from Bianca. She felt a little embarrassed that she had told Zach the mushy anecdote that went with it. Come to think of it, she had told him lots of mushy anecdotes. She peered up at him and saw that he was staring at her. What the heck? Was she blushing? Damn him, anyway. She broke eye contact, looking anywhere but at him. She caught movement out her window and saw Maria standing at Zach's doorway. She glanced over at Zach to alert him to his guest. When he saw who it was, he looked thoughtful. Kendall gave him a "whatever" look, and so he stood up and left.

Kendall thought it was strange that he walked out the door looking so uncomfortable. Zach was supposed to be madly in love with her. He should have been rushing out the door with an expression of glee. Men, who could figure them out. Well, that wasn't true. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that his expression made sense. He had come to town hoping to rekindle their romance. First Maria hid their relationship with everyone. Then she seemed to choose Edmund, but kept running to Zach every five minutes. Then everyone found out she was keeping his secrets for him. And yet she still seemed to want to be with Edmund. Poor guy had to be confused.

Kendall shook her head and stood up to turn off the radio. She couldn't believe she was sitting here dwelling on Zach Slater and sympathizing with him. Erica would dig her own grave and throw herself in if she knew about all the stuff that Kendall had been through with Zach in the past 36 hours. Wow, had it only been that long? It seemed like forever.

As Kendall pushed the off button on the radio, she heard a distinctive British accent outside. Ethan! She rushed to the door. "Ethan! Where have you been? Never mind, you need to come inside." He glanced over at her. "In just a minute. There is something important I need to tell my father." Kendall shook her head. "Not more important than your freedom." This seemed to give him pause, so she injected a note of pleading. "Please come with me. Zach can wait until later." Of course Zach couldn't help but add his own comment, "With bated breath." For a second Kendall thought Ethan would ignore her, but thankfully he turned and headed for her door.

Kendall slammed the door. "Ethan, where have you been? I've been worried sick!" Ethan carressed her shoulders. "Sorry, love. After finding out that Zach was my father, I needed to do some serious thinking. I tried renting a cabin in the mountains, but the blizzard nixed that idea. On the drive back, however, I came to the realization that no matter what I did next, I was going to need some serious backing to do it. I went straight to chairman of the board at Cambias and explained my situation. He called an emergency meeting, and just like that I was put in place at the head of Cambias."

Kendall stared at him. "What about Bianca?" Ethan shrugged. "She'll have a position of power, just not the top position. She doesn't want it anyway. Don't worry about little Miranda's legacy. That darling girl is set for life." Kendall could hardly take it in. She happened to glance out the window and saw that Zach and Maria were now in his apartment, wrapped in a pretty steamy embrace. Not wanting to examine the strange twist in her heart, she turned back to Ethan. "What were you about to tell Zach out there?" His smile was very self-satisfied. "I had his gaming licenses revoked." Kendall's shoulders sagged. "It didn't take you long to start the whole revenge locomotive going, did it?" Ethan shrugged. "It wasn't just about my personal pain, Kendall. I'm fully convinced that Zach is a menace to the public. Cutting off his power supply was the first step in stopping him from doing more harm. It will be much harder now for him to take shots at Ryan or poison Greenlee."

Kendall sighed. "Zach didn't do those things, Ethan. We found out last night that Jonathan Lavery was the culprit. He's criminally insane. The charges against you have been dropped." Ethan looked stunned. "My word, I had no idea. I feel terrible for Ryan, but I guess I'm glad to be free now." Kendall smiled. "Its funny that people made up their minds that it was either you or your father that were perpetuating all these crimes, and in the end it was neither of you!" Ethan nodded absently, "However, that still doesn't change the fact that my father hurts people. Look at what he's done to Maria. He's got her so turned around that she can't even think straight." Kendall shook her head. "I'm not so sure about that. I wonder if it's the other way around." Ethan looked bewildered. "Damn it, Kendall, what the hell is going on here? Do you actually feel sorry for my father? Why did you look so disappointed when I told you about the gaming license? I thought you understood how I felt. My father betrayed me and rejected me, just like Erica did to you. Why do you act like what I did was wrong?"

In his anger, he was waving his hands around and he knocked the tilting star from the top of the tree. It fell to the ground and broke. Kendall's eyes filled with tears. She didn't know what was wrong with her. She shouldn't have cared less what Ethan did to Zach. She shouldn't have cared that Zach was making out with the love of his life while she was in here with a boyfriend who suddenly looked terrifyingly like Michael. She couldn't take it anymore, she ran out of the apartment. She got into her car and drove off. In her rearview mirror, she saw Ethan get into his car. Damn, he was going to follow her.

Why was she acting like a scared rabbit, anyway? Maybe because it was all too much to take in. Ethan seemed so different tonight. Instead of the devil-may-care Brit she cared about, he had suddenly turned into a power-mad corporate wank. Just what Zach seemed to be so worried about. Buth how could he have changed so much in a day's time? She had to laugh at her own question. She felt like she had changed a lot, herself. Spending so much time in Zach's proximity had made her understand him a lot more, realize he wasn't the evil person everyone in town made him out to be. It had also made her realize how attracted to him she was. All of this was very bad news for her budding relationship with Ethan. Kendall had the sinking feeling that the bud was going to get nipped. Kendall saw SOS up ahead and decided to pull in there. Maybe Ethan would back off if she was in a crowded bar, and give her time to think.

She threaded her way through the dancers and leaned on the bar. Ethan wasn't far behind. "What happened back there? You've never run off like that before. The Kendall I know would dig in her heels and fight to the death." She closed her eyes on her tears. "So I guess we've both morphed into something unrecognizable." Ethan folded his arms. "What are you talking about?" She threw up her hands. "You were so kind and gentle. My heart melted when you held Miranda in your arms. All you wanted was the truth, your legacy. Now that you have it, its like….its like the curse Zach talked about has come true. Tonight you were practically frothing at the mouth when you were talking about revenge. It reminded me too much of Michael, so I had to leave." She knew they were harsh words, but she hoped that comparing him to his uncle would smack him into reality. He stared at her. "He got to you, didn't he? Zach has brainwashed you, just like he did with Maria."

Kendall turned away from him, crushed beyond belief. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to will away the pain and confusion. She tried to crush the voice of her mother telling her that she should have listened and stayed away from Ethan. Her head started pounding in rhythm to the beat of the Maroon 5 song that was playing. Coming here had been a big mistake. She barely registered Ethan's voice. "I guess the old saying is true. Speak of the devil and you'll conjure him up." Her eyes flew open and she stared in the direction that Ethan was looking. Sure enough, there was Zach and Maria on the dance floor. Maria had her eyes closed and she looked blissful. Zach, however, seemed to be staring into space. How in the world had they ended up in the same place as she and Ethan? Was this some sort of attempt to torment her? Throw it in her face that while her relationship with Ethan was crumbling, Zach seemed to be finally getting the woman he wanted? Kendall saw the way he was holding Maria in his arms and was reminded of how he had held her in his arms last night. She wasn't sure how it had happened, but she had woken up at one point and realized she was snuggled against him. For some reason she had felt unable to pull away and move to her side of the bed. It was all too surreal.

As if her musings weren't bizarre enough, when the song ended, Kendall was startled to see Zach abruptly pull away from Maria and almost stagger to the bar. Across the way, Kendall could see that he seemed to be extremely moved by something, as if his personal demons were waging a holy war inside him. Kendall saw Maria slip up behind him and tug on his shoulder, but he was ignoring her. Kendall had this sudden mental image of walking over there and shoving Maria away, then taking Zach's face in her hands and kissing him until he forgot everything, even his own name. Zach looked up at that moment and his eyes locked with Kendall's. Her breath was taken away by the agony she saw in them, and the brief flash that seemed to indicate that he was reading her mind. The spell was shattered when she heard Ethan mutter beside her that it was time for Zach to face the music.

Kendall felt like she was watching a train wreck as she saw Ethan speaking to Zach. Zach pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and glanced at it. Maria appeared to be reading Ethan the riot act. Then something strange happened. Zach looked up from his cell phone and stared at Ethan and Maria. His face appeared to completely shut down as he slipped his cell back in his pocket and then turn and walk away. Ethan and Maria were so busy arguing that they didn't even appear to notice that he was gone.

Kendall debated whether to go after Zach or knock some sense into the two chuckleheads. It was a no-brainer. She got up and pushed her way through the crowd. It became more and more difficult as she neared the doorway, as people packed in for one last hurah before Christmas Eve. She finally escaped, but when she looked around the parking lot, she saw that he was gone. She stood there for awhile, snowflakes gathering in her hair, as she wondered what to do. Her cell phone rang and she glanced at the ID. It was Erica. She answered, and listened as Erica told her that Jonathan Lavery had been found and was safely in custody. Everyone was coming back home and Erica wanted her to come right over to the penthouse. Kendall agreed and hung up. She stared down the street for a few more moments, her eyelashes becoming crusty from the increasing snow fall.


	19. Lush Life

Author's note: This chapter features a song called "Lush Life," which has been recorded by many artists over the decades. It is a haunting melody that reflects Zach's life startlingly well. The artist I first heard sing it was Natalie Cole on the Unforgettable CD. On Amazon, when I entered "Lush Life," I found a bunch of CDs by different artists (some are instrumental).

On another note, I was rechecking some dates from back when I started this story (Dec 22). Seems Bianca was in a coma at that time, and couldn't have been whisked away to hide from Jonathan. So lets just pretend that she had already woken up by that time, reunited with Miranda, and had the DNA test done, m'kay?

Chapter 19

Zach's eyes snapped open. After a moment's disorientation, he realized that he had fallen asleep while leaning back in his desk chair. He vaguely remembered the beginnings of a dream that promised to be thoroughly nasty. Maybe his subconscious had startled him awake to spare him the ordeal. He slowly moved forward from his reclined position. As careful as he was, the movement nevertheless made his head pound and fill him with nausea. Well. Better fetch himself some more hair of the dog. He used every ounce of will to stand up and walk over to the mini bar. To his supreme disappointment, he realized that every bottle was completely empty. He suddenly flashed on a memory of Erica in Las Vegas, looking supremely disappointed that her flask contained no more booze. I'm pathetic, he thought. What else was new?

He looked around, wondering about the best way to get his hands on some more scotch. Should he have someone bring a bottle to him? Should he wander down to the bar? He looked at his desk clock, which always gave the date and time, and felt a small amount of relief. It was 12:32 am, December 26th. Christmas was officially over. He'd managed to get through the holidays by staying in a drunken haze the whole time. He should do that every year. Well, if there were any customers at all, since there was no gambling, they would probably be in the bar area listening to his latest entertainer, a crooner that always drew a crowd.

Zach stared at his cell phone. With a sigh, he slowly went over to it and checked his messages for the first time in 48 hours. There were a grand total of three. One from Maria saying that she didn't understand what had happened to Zach, and hoped he was okay. She also wanted to let him know that when she and Edmund got together for the sake of the children on Christmas Eve, they had a serious talk and decided not to end it after all. Zach restrained himself from flinging the phone against the wall, and skipped to the next message. It was from Ethan, gloating that he had made Zach run with his tail between his legs, and promising that there was more in store. Grampa Alex would be proud. He went on to the third message. It was from Kendall. "Zach? You've completely disappeared, just like Ethan did. Usually we can't get rid of you, and now you're nowhere to be found. I'm wor…um…Bianca is concerned for Miranda's sake. You're her uncle, and all. Um…well, give us a call to let us know you aren't in a ditch somewhere."

Zach looked around again. If he sat here and waited for someone to bring the booze to him, he might go insane. He took a deep breath and walked out the door, heading to the bar. As he entered, the crooner, Jim Jackson, was finishing a swinging tune that had the customers twirling and laughing in each other's arms. There were more people out than he would have guessed. Maybe it was cabin fever from being around too many relatives in too small a space. Zach approached the bar, determined to grab a bottle and go straight back up to his office. There was no way he would stick around and listen to Jim sing torch songs for the ridiculously happy couples that seemed to be in the crowd tonight. He caught Max's eye and pointed towards the scotch. Max raised one eyebrow and wordlessly handed him the bottle. Zach was turning to leave, when he noticed that Jim was smirking at him from the stage as the band started the next song. Zach wondered what that look was for, then realized what song he was playing. Lush Life. Clever, Jim. Very clever. Zach gave him a two finger salute, then decided to humor the crooner and sat down at the bar, grabbing a shot glass.

_I used to visit all the very gay places  
Those come-what-may places  
Where one relaxes on the axis of the wheel of life --  
To get the feel of life  
From jazz and cocktails._

_The girls I knew had sad and sullen gray faces  
With distingue traces  
That used to be there -- You could see where they'd been washed away  
By too many through the day  
Twelve o'clock tales_

_Then you came along with your siren song  
To tempt me to madness...  
I thought for a while that your poignant smile  
Was tinged with the sadness...  
Of a great love for me.  
Ah yes, I was wrong.  
Again, I was wrong. _

Life is lonely again,  
And only last year, everything seemed so sure.  
Now life is awful again,  
A trough full of hearts could only be a bore.

A week in Paris will ease the bite of it  
All I care is to smile in spite of it

I'll forget you, I will  
While yet you are still  
Burning inside my brain  
Romance is mush  
Stifling those who strive  
I'll live a lush life in some small dive  
And there I'll be, while I rot with the rest  
Of those whose lives are lonely too.

Zach listened to every word of the song, struck by how much it resembled his life. He had to wonder, though, why the writer thought spending a week in Paris would ease his broken heart. It was the City of Love. Or maybe that was the point. Being surrounded by so many lovebirds who seemed to think that love was everything and that it would last forever….it would serve to stack brick upon bitter brick to make a nice cynical wall around the broken heart. The heart would heal nicely in its little prison, and never be touched again. A germ of a plan took shape in Zach's mind. He would go to Paris. But not for just a week. He didn't want to come back to Pine Valley. And Las Vegas was pointless given his current circumstance. He would stay in Paris for a while, a good while. Long enough to figure out what he wanted to do with the rest of his miserable life. Or until he rotted, like the song. He'd liquidate all his assets, and just go bury himself in the heart of the city. Completely shed everything and everyone that had been stifling him for far too long. With renewed determination, he left the scotch on the bar top, and nodded in appreciation to Jim as he headed to his office to make plans.


	20. Out With the Old

Chapter 20

Zach checked his watch. 11:00pm on the nose. There was a knock at the door. Amazing. He had to admire their punctuality. He opened the door. Ryan and Greenlee gazed warily at him. Ryan was in a tux, and Greenlee in an evening gown. Zach smiled superciliously. "Aww, you didn't have to dress up on my account. Come in. Everything is ready to sign." They marched into the room, along with a stuffed-shirt type that Zach hadn't noticed until he trailed in behind the couple. Greenlee indicated the man with a wave of her hand. "This is Dennis Thompson. He is one of the trustees of my trust fund, and thankfully also a very savvy contract lawyer." Mr. Thompson nodded. "I've been going over the copy you faxed me, Mr. Slater. I am much impressed, and very stimulated on behalf of Ms. Smythe's…I mean, Mrs. Lavery's trust fund. This will be a very profitable investment for her." Zach smirked. "One I'm sure you looked upon with great disdain…until you saw the bottom line." The lawyer merely smiled tightly.

Zach moved around behind his desk and pushed the contract forward. The lawyer took it and glanced through to make sure there had been no changes. "I must say, Mr. Slater, that I am still quite startled that you are willing to sell your casino for a sum so far below its worth. It made me suspicious at first, but the Laverys convinced me that there were no shenanigans." Zach shrugged. "Much like a scorned wife who sells her husband's Lotus on the internet for twenty five cents, sometimes you just want to get rid of something quickly." The lawyer gave another tight smile. Greenlee rolled her eyes and snatched the contract out of Mr. Thompson's hand. She signed her name with a flourish, and then pushed it over to Ryan, who barely scratched the page with his. The trustee handed a cashier's check to Zach.

Greenlee glanced at her watch. "Perfect timing. When we get down to the bar, we'll signal the waiters to pass the champagne around, and then make the announcement that we are the new owners." Ryan looked around. "I think I'll like the new digs. I'll like it even better having you far away from Pine Valley." Zach smiled and tapped the check against his cheek. "Have fun redecorating the office. I'd recommend my decorator, but she doesn't do 'ostentatious'" Zach endorsed the back of the check, then stuck it in an envelope that was already stamped and addressed to his bank. He stood up and slung a duffel bag over his shoulder. "I have a plane to catch. You better hurry on down to your adoring fans." Greenlee shook her head in amazement. "They have flights at midnight on New Years?" Zach glanced back from the doorway. "Two a.m., actually. I guess its to accomodate the 'start a new life in a new year' crowd. I better get going. International flights recommend checking in two hours ahead." Ryan looked thoughtful. "Leaving the country, eh?" Zach smiled cryptically and left.

Zach stood outside waiting for his taxi, his breath smoking the frigid air. He heard a cheer and some applause from inside the casino. The announcement had been made. He glanced at his watch. 11:25. The taxi better arrive soon, since it was half an hour to get to the airport. A minute later, headlights flashed in front of him, and the taxi pulled up. He opened the door and threw the duffel bag in. "I hope you're a fast driver." The driver smirked. "Don't worry. I plan to be having a drink at the airport lounge when the ball starts to drop." The taxi had gotten two feet when the driver was forced to brake. Someone had stepped in front of the vehicle. Another evening gown. The back door opened and Kendall ducked inside. "So were you planning to say good-bye at all?"

Zach sighed. He looked at the driver. "You can go ahead now." The man nodded. "Fine with me. I want to see that ball drop." The taxi continued on. Kendall's mouth gaped. "I can't go to the airport, my purse is back at the casino. And I won't be with my family at midnight." Zach raised one eyebrow. "I won't be with my family, either. I'll pay for your fare back. Its what you deserve for jumping in the cab. I don't like getting behind schedule." Kendall sighed and leaned back. "Once again my impulsive streak gets me in trouble. You're not worth it, you know. You're still the same jerk who horned your way into our lives last summer. You fall off the face of the earth for a week, and now you hijack me on New Year's Eve." Zach smiled. "You better not use that word 'hijack' at the airport. They frown on that sort of thing."

Kendall glared at Zach. "What happened at SOS? One minute you and Maria were dancing. The next minute you looked like someone shot your dog and your grandmother with one bullet. Then you disappear, and the only people you contact are Ryan and Greenlee, to sell them your casino. Now you plan to leave the country without saying goodbye?" Zach stared at her for a minute, admiring the jewel tones of her silk blue dress, and the way it draped her luscious body. "I know the town will be disappointed that they couldn't throw me a 'Hit the Road, Jack' party, but its for the best."

Kendall seemed to get that he wasn't going to talk about SOS. "Bianca will be hurt that you didn't say goodbye to Miranda." Zach felt stinging in his eyes. His voice became more gravelly. "I can't say goodbye to her. It would make it impossible for me to leave. And I have to leave." Kendall looked frustrated. "You're going to make everyone think they were right. That you are a coward and that you're running with your tail between your legs." Zach shrugged. "That's the wording that Ethan used in his last message to me. Nobody can control what people think of them, so why bother?" Kendall looked out the window at the snow on the ground, glowing in the moonlight. "Ethan acts triumphant right now, but when it finally sinks in that you are gone…that his father left without another word... it's going to devastate him."

Zach looked at her speculatively. "You have a lot of your mother in you. She's very good with the guilt trip. Don't worry about Ethan. He'll be disappointed that he no longer has his dead mouse to bat around, but he'll soon be too caught up in running Cambias to care." Kendall shook her head. "What do I have to do to get a rise out of you? Start sticking pins in my Maria voodoo doll?" Zach cocked his head. "I can think of some more fun ways to get a rise out of me. Tell me something…" Kendall laughed. "You want answers from me?" Zach ignored her. "You and Ethan didn't seem to be thrilled with each other the last I saw you. I hope I wasn't the cause of strife between you?" She raised one eyebrow. "I thought you wanted strife? You've said and done some nasty things to try and get Ethan to leave town."

Zach looked away. "I'm sorry about that. I never meant any of those things I said to you. I was desperate for Ethan to go back home and escape becoming a Cambias." She shook her head. "And in the end you were right. I was so arrogant as to think that my experiences with Erica would help prevent Ethan from going through the same hell that I went through. I guess the only way he's going to learn is to touch that hot stove himself. And to answer your question, since I am more cooperative than you are….Ethan and I broke up. We grew close because of our similarities, and in the end that was what drove us apart. Its okay, though. I cared about him, but I wasn't in love with him."

Zach contemplated her for a few minutes. "I was certainly in love with Maureen. When she left that first time, I put her up on a pedestal and prayed to her image every day. When I found her again, the poor woman never stood a chance of living up to my dreams. Especially since she had the audacity to get on with her life in the interim, while I kept mine in cold storage." Kendall smiled sadly. "I can relate. I tried to make it happen with Ryan a second time. He ended up choosing someone else, too. Except in my case I didn't make a dignified exit. I stuck around to make myself even more pathetic and humiliated." She chuckled. "Okay, I guess I understand now why you have to leave."

The taxi pulled up at the airport. It was 11:53. Zach tossed some bills to the driver, who quickly turned off his on call light. Zach pulled Kendall out of the taxi and led her into the airport. "I have the feeling that for the next few minutes, none of the cabs will be in service. Let's have one last drink, shall we?" They sat down in a curving booth at the back of the airport lounge. A waitress immediately appeared and set down two champagne flutes. "Compliments of the airport," she smiled, then disappeared.

Kendall turned to Zach. "Just one more question. Why did you want the Laverys to sign their contract an hour before midnight of the new year? Kind of an odd time to do business." Zach took a swig of his champagne, then glanced at Dick Clark pointing towards the ball that was about to drop in just two more minutes. "It was symbolic. I'm shedding all ties with my old life. When it turns midnight, I want my new year to be completely fresh. Which is why what I'm about to do needs to happen before the clock strikes." She looked bewildered. He reached out his hand and caressed her cheek. Awareness dawned on her face, and at that moment he leaned in and kissed her.

He was surprised that she didn't protest or pull away. Instead she gripped the lapels of his sports jacket. He threaded his fingers through her hair. It was as soft and luxurious as he had speculated. Her lips were even softer. The way she gave herself up to him completely made him feel both frustration and relief that they were in a public place. He pulled her tightly against him, and her hands left his lapels to run down his torso and up his back. The smooth silk of her dress was driving him crazy. He was dying to tug the spaghetti straps off her shoulders. He dimly became aware that there were people in the lounge starting to shout out the countdown until midnight. Reluctantly he broke the kiss.

Kendall slowly opened her eyes, her breath unsteady. "Now I know what you meant by that crack about making me feel like a woman." She absently focused on the television as the ball finished its descent. The crowd shouted, "3….2….1….HAPPY NEW YEAR!" Kendall looked back at Zach, her eyes infinitely sad. The taxi driver wandered over to their table. "Happy New Year, folks! That was quite a steamy kiss you gave her, fella. But you kissed her way too early!" Zach shook his head and glanced back at Kendall, sadly. "On the contrary. It happened way too late."

He stood up and pulled her out of the booth. He walked her to the row of taxis and put her in one that now had its light on. She opened her mouth, but he shook his head. "Seasons East casino," he told the driver, giving him some bills, then shut the door. He turned and walked back into the airport so that he wouldn't see the taxi pulling away.


	21. Till We Meet Again

Author's note: This chapter takes place 6 months later. Except for 2 chapters, this story has been entirely from Zach's perspective. I am going to experiment with toggling back and forth with their thoughts. Hopefully it won't suck too badly. If you have an opinion either way, let me know – I'm not wedded to any particular viewpoint.

Chapter 21

Zach eased into the tiny little chair and wondered for the millionth time why Etienne chose seating for his little café that was more suitable for midgets. He sipped his coffee, not daring to lean too hard against the equally diminutive table. He usually brought a book as part of his morning routine, but he was up particularly late last night and his eyes were sore from all the cigarette smoke. No matter how late his night was, he always arose bright and early so that he could have one of Etienne's heavenly pastries right out of the oven.

He heard a woman's voice rising in anger. "What do you mean you don't have any more chocolate croissants? This is France. You should have them stacked to the ceiling." Etienne's reply was frosty. "Do you stack hot dogs to the ceiling in America? It is unimportant. It does not change the fact that we are out of chocolate croissants. There are many other pastries here that you may choose from." Zach heard an impatient sigh. "You don't understand. My sister loves chocolate croissants. Normally it wouldn't matter, but she was up all night with her sick daughter. I wanted to get something special for her. In America we call it comfort food."

The hairs on the back of Zach's neck began to prickle. Kendall. He stole a look over his shoulder. There she was, standing at the counter. She was wearing a tank top and peasant skirt. She was here in Paris. Apparently Bianca and Miranda were with her. It was surreal to see her. So many times she had haunted his thoughts and dreams, and here she was. He chuckled to himself. Of all the coffee joints in all the towns, in the world - she walks into mine. What was it about her that got him channelling Bogart flicks?

Kendall groaned in frustration as the café owner folded his arms and glared at her. What was she going to do now? She heard someone behind her speak in French, and the owner's face lit up. She turned around. "Excuse me, you'll have to wait your turn!" She stared at the encroacher. Standing there, with his hands in his pockets, smirking, and sporting a scruffy beard, was Zach Slater. "I never thought I'd say this, Kendall, but you really need to work on your rudeness. It's an art form here in Paris, and you're way out of your league" Kendall recovered from her trance. "I should slap that beard right off your face you sorry son of a bitch!" Zach stroked his whiskers. "That's good, but the French put more emphasis on insults than violence." Kendall's hand itched to follow through on her threat. "Okay, how's this? You are a coward who runs away when things get too difficult. Who doesn't have the decency to say goodbye to his two remaining family members. Who leaves the whole town wondering just who the hell you thought you were turning everyone's lives upside down. Who hijacks me on your last night in town, gives me this incredible kiss, and then dumps me in a cab without….again!….without saying goodbye. You are the lowest form of life that ever crawled out of the primordial soup, tried to stand upright but failed, and decided to go back in for another swim."

The café customers burst into applause. The café owner came around the counter and gave her a little bow, presenting her with a bag. "That was impressive, madamoiselle. Here is the chocolate croissant for your sister." Kendall was outraged. "I thought you said you didn't have anymore?" The owner gave another bow, this one slightly apologetic. "I keep a few choice morsels for my favorite customers. Monsieur Slater asked me to fetch you one, as a favor." Kendall glared at Zach. "Figures. You threw your weight around in Pine Valley. Now you're doing it in Paris." She snatched the bag. "I'll let you pay for this, since you owe Bianca."

Kendall stalked out of the café. When she reached the fresh air outside, she found herself wanting to burst into tears. Fool! She'd spent a grand total of 36 hours in close quarters with Zach, and was kissed by him once. He should have been a mere blip on her radar, yet his leaving had affected her more than she was willing to admit. Seeing him just now, after six months, knocked her off kilter. She looked around and realized that she was going in the wrong direction. Stupid, stupid, stupid. She turned around and ran right into Zach.

He put his hands on her shoulders to steady her. The touch sent a burst of energy through him that he hadn't felt in a long time. She knocked his hands away and backed up. "Take it easy, Kendall. I know you hate my guts, but I would really like to find out about Miranda. You told Etienne that she was sick. How sick?" She had a malicious look in her eye, as if debating whether to hang the information over him. He simply stared at her. She shrugged. "Miranda just has a virus. She's feverish and has explosive diarrhea, but 'Doctor' Maggie thinks she'll be fine. That enough information for you?" Zach relaxed. "Sounds like something she might have picked up flying here. Happens all the time." Kendall gave him an odd look. "If she picked up the bug while flying here, then it must have incubated for four months." He frowned at her. "I don't understand." She raised one eyebrow. "Bianca, Miranda and Maggie moved here to Paris in February. Bianca is running the European division of Cambias."

Zach was stunned. He'd become something of a recluse, but didn't realize it was that bad. Kendall folded her arms and said, reluctantly, "Do you want to come see them?" Zach suddenly felt lightheaded. Hold sweet little Miranda in his arms again? "Yes, I would, thank you," he said solemnly. She gave a curt nod and marched down the street. Around the corner from the café, she stopped at a door to an apartment building. Producing a key, she unlocked the door and motioned him inside. Two flights up she unlocked another door and stepped inside. Zach heard Bianca's voice, sounding weary, call from another room. "Kendall, is that you? Where have you been?" Kendall responded, "I wanted to surprise you with your favorite breakfast treat. I also picked up a stray bum while I was out."

There was a squeal, and Zach looked down to see a child toddle in from another room and straight to Kendall. "Enda, Enda!" In amazement he realized that it was Miranda. Her hair had grown a bit, and she was walking and saying words. Kendall lifted her up and gave her a hug. "Goodness, you look like you're feeling better! Did the buggy boo go away?" Miranda giggled. "Boo!" Bianca entered the room. "When I checked her this morning, her fever had broken." She saw Zach standing there and stopped short. "Zach? What? How?" She just stared at him. Kendall spread her hands. "I told you I picked up a stray bum. It just happened to be a bum we know." Bianca shook her head and sat down. "Zach!" Miranda chimed in. "Zach!"

Maggie walked in and saw Zach. She didn't appear all that surprised to see him. She sighed. "I guess you found us. Oh well, it was only a matter of time." Bianca stared at her. "What do you mean?" Maggie shrugged. "Remember that jazz club we went to about a month ago? The one I said I didn't like and didn't want to go back?" Bianca nodded. "I saw him there, playing the saxophone. I wasn't positive it was Zach, but I was pretty sure. So I made up an excuse for us to leave." Bianca looked at her agape. "Let me guess, you wanted to protect me from the big bad Cambias." Maggie shrugged again and stared unapologetically at Zach. Bianca put her head in her hands. "I haven't had enough sleep to be able to process this." Kendall marched over and handed her the pastry bag. "Here, eat this and drink some milk, then take a nap. Zach and I will put Miranda in her stroller and take her for a walk." Bianca peeked inside the bag and smiled. "I'll take you up on that offer."


	22. Sax Life

Chapter 22

Zach and Kendall walked in silence for awhile. Every so often Miranda would point and say "Doggie?" or "Baby?" and Kendall would confirm her question. Finally they arrived at a park and Kendall freed Miranda from the stroller so that she could toddle around. Zach watched as Kendall fished a large blanket out from the stroller basket and lay it on the ground. She also fished out a sippy cup and a container of cheerios. Every so often when Miranda came near, Kendall would blot some drool from her chin with the bib hanging around her neck. Zach wanted to make a comment about how naturally everything seemed to come to her. But he figured she would make a sarcastic reply, so he was content to lounge against the blanket and admire the softness that came over her features in such unguarded moments.

Kendall stole a glance at Zach. Miranda was busily trying to put cheerios in his mouth. She was amazed at how comfortable Miranda was with him. She wasn't really shy with strangers – how could she be after having been passed around so much as a baby? But there were times she was guarded around people – especially bearded men. Yet she was very easygoing around Zach. Maybe she sensed that he was her uncle. Kendall studied his face a bit. Miranda might not mind the beard, but Kendall wasn't thrilled with it. Kendall had very sensitive skin, and beards tended to chafe. Her cheeks grew warm. As if his beard were going to be against her skin anytime soon! Ha! To get away from her thoughts, she finally broke the silence. "So what's this about Maggie saying you play saxophone at a jazz club?"

Zach crunched on a cheerio. "Its true. That's how I spend my evenings now. I'd never so much as picked up a saxophone before coming to Paris. The first night I was here, I asked the hotel concierge where I could find a little hole in the wall jazz club. You see, I was feeling inspired by a song I heard my last week in Pine Valley. I decided I was going to come to Paris and live a lush life in some small dive. Anyway, being a mind reader, like any good concierge, he recommended one to me - and it was perfect. Well, I started going to this place every night. I would sit and watch the band play several sets, have a few drinks, and never speak to anyone but the bartender. After about three weeks, the saxophonist came up to me."

Zach remembered the wiry young man threading his way through the tables and stopping in front of his. The man stared at him for several seconds, and then asked him a question in German. Zach opened his mouth to tell him that he wasn't German, but the man started laughing before he could say anything. "I know you are American, I was just having a joke." Zach raised an eyebrow. "How did you know?" The man sat down. "The bartender told me, of course. He also told me that you have just arrived in Paris and plan to stay here indefinitely. He says that you do not have a job and apparently have enough money not to get one. He says that you do not speak French, but hope to learn." Zach shook his head. "Not a very good bartender." The man gave him a shocked look. "You do not like the mixing of the drinks? Oh, I see. The American tradition of bartender as confidante. No, Michel is the biggest gossip in here."

The man lit a cigarette. "My name is Philippe. I already know that your name is Zach. Michel also shared something else with me. Something that you did not tell him, that he surmised on his own. He said that he could tell very strongly that you were empty inside. He comes across many people who are empty inside, so that is not unique. What is unique about you is that you do not try and fill up that empty space and you seem to want it that way. I tell Michel that he is crazy. No man can be content with the empty space. So I feel challenged. This is why I have come to you. I, my friend, am going to fill up that empty space of yours."

Zach's eyebrows shot up, and Philippe laughed uproariously. "Don't be stupid. I do not mean with myself." He held up the saxophone he'd been holding on his lap. "This, my friend, can fill you up and make you whole again. Zach, I am going to do you the biggest favor of your life. I am going to teach you French and teach you how to play saxophone. Both of these will be accomplished in three months." Zach sat back, very intrigued. "Three months is a short time. Why three months?" Philippe grinned. "Because in three months I am going to be married and take over my father's cheese making business in the north country. Gervaise, the owner of this club, will need a new saxophonist." It was Zach's turn to laugh uproariously. "Quite a change of careers!" Philippe tried to look offended. "The cheese making business is a very old and honored tradition here in France." Zach nodded his head. "Of course, but will it fill you up like the saxophone?" Philippe shook his head and smiled dreamily. "My empty space has been full of Nicole for some time."

Zach sobered up. Stifling the desire to make a cynical retort, he quickly considered Philippe's offer. "How about this. I will take you up on your offer to teach me French and saxophone. If you are successful enough that Gervaise wants to hire me in three months, I will take the job. On one condition." Philippe looked at him hopefully. "Once you move to the north country, you must periodically send me some of your traditional cheese." The young man broke into a smile and shook Zach's hand.

As Zach finished his story, Kendall stared at him in amazement. All she could think to ask was, "So does he send you any cheese?" Zach smiled. "The best damn cheese you ever tasted. I've even been up to visit him once. His wife, Nicole, is very sweet and they run a very good business together." Kendall shook her head. "Amazing. Truly amazing. I can't wait to hear about what you do with your days." Zach got an uncomfortable look on his face. "No, its your turn. Tell me about what's been going on in Pine Valley. Any interesting news about your life?"

Kendall closed her eyes, her troubles back home suddenly rushing into her head. She couldn't tell him about her latest stupid move. She couldn't. She opened her eyes, trying to think of something innocuous to distract him. Miranda suddenly jumped up and yelled, "Maggie!" Kendall looked up and saw Maggie standing there. "Hey sweet pea!" She picked up Miranda and cradled her on her hip. "Bianca was so tired and surprised to see Zach that she forgot Miranda has a doctor's appointment. I came to fetch her from you. I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. Have you told Zach the big news, yet?" Maggie had that smirky look on her face. Oh no, she's going to blurt it right out. Kendall clenched her teeth as Maggie opened her big fat mouth. "Kendall and JR Chandler are getting married."


	23. Wedding Bell Blues

Chapter 23

Maggie was long gone with Miranda. Zach had somehow managed to kiss Miranda goodbye and promise to visit her again (with a look in his eye that brooked no argument from Maggie). He and Kendall were now sitting on a bench in complete silence. Zach was trying to contain his emotions, and at the same time try to figure out why they were so intense. When he spent that time with her before Christmas, and then kissed her on New Year's Eve, he'd realized that there was a potential for something. But his head was so crowded by thoughts of Maria and Ethan and the need to do the right thing that he decided to set it aside and walk away. And then he had walked away from them all. His intent was that they owed him nothing and he owed them nothing. So why should he care if Kendall was marrying one of the slimiest men in Pine Valley? Why did the idea of Junior putting his hands on her make his fists clench? This wasn't the same situation as with Maria and Edmund. Zach never had a relationship with Kendall. And it wasn't like she was choosing JR over Zach. Yet he still felt like he had a knot in his stomach.

Kendall tapped her foot. The silence was killing her. Zach just stared into space with what looked like a bewildered expression on his face. Was he trying to figure out why she would be so stupid? She wished he would just say something. She saw him take one long deep breath through his nose. Then he maneuvered his facial features into a completely fake polite expression. He cleared his throat. "Well, I suppose that I should wish you well. I guess you're here in Paris on double duty. Visit your sister, and also scout out a place to stay for your honeymoon. The hotel where I stayed when I first got here was very popular with honeymooners. The walls were thick, but not thick enough. I'd be happy to recommend it, since I no longer live there." She shook her head. "There isn't going to be a honeymoon." He laughed harshly. "I don't buy that, sweetheart. There's not a heterosexual male in this world that wouldn't be planning a nice long honeymoon if you were his bride." Her entire body went hot at that comment.

Unable to sit still a moment longer, she stood up. She walked over to a brick and iron fence that overlooked the Seinne river. She leaned against the fence and stared at the river cruise floating by. She felt, rather than saw Zach come up next to her. Without looking at him, she spoke. "It's going to be a marriage of convenience. I'm doing this as a favor to JR." She looked at him. "A lot has happened since you left. JR found out that Babe was lying about his son being dead. She and Jamie had run off with the baby. They're all back in Pine Valley, and JR is fighting for custody of his son. Babe and Jamie upped the stakes when they got married. It was actually my mother's idea that JR and I get married to put him in a better position. She's furious that Babe wasn't sent to jail for her misdeeds. Plus, I think she's trying to matchmake between us. JR loved the idea. He's always had a crush on me. It would help in his custody suit. I think he also thinks it will soften Bianca towards him and that maybe she would give Chandler Enterprises to us as a wedding gift. I told him that he was not allowed to try and manipulate her."

Zach gritted his teeth. "And what do you get out of all this?" She sighed. "Well, I do actually want to help JR. He wants the chance to raise his son. And the idea of any child being raised by that barracuda Babe makes me sick to my stomach. It's not like this arrangement would have to be permanent. But I do have some selfish reasons. I think I like the idea of being hands off for awhile. Ryan burned me pretty badly. Then I came very close to falling in love with Ethan. Fortunately our romance crashed and burned before it got too far off the ground. And then…" She stopped short and looked down at her hands for a moment. "And after that I guess I just felt like maybe I should stay away from romance for awhile. When I marry JR, I will be in a position where I could keep a safe distance from anyone who might potentially draw me in. I'll have some breathing room to decide what I want to do with my life. Running Fusion seems to be the only thing getting me up in the morning."

Zach gripped the rail, leaning back to stretch out his arms. "So you're marrying JR as a way of thwarting the temptation to fall in love. I suppose it makes sense in a Kendallesque sort of way. So when is the big day?" She looked out over the river, again. "In three days. I go back home tomorrow to make the arrangements. We're just having a civil ceremony, with Adam and Erica as the witnesses. JR already did the big wedding extravaganza thing with Babe. I didn't want to make a big deal out of it, either."

Zach stared at the curve of her cheek. "Why are you in Paris three days before your wedding? Is Bianca throwing a bachelorette party?" She laughed reluctantly. "Bianca is less than thrilled by the marriage. No, I just wanted to get away for a little bit before all the drama comes to a head. Have my last hurrah, I guess. A rather pathetic hurrah. Paris is spectacular enough, but I've been holed up with Bianca and Miranda since I got here." Zach's hold on the railing tightened until his knuckles were turning white. Don't do it, don't do it, don't be an idiot. Wish her luck and walk the hell away from her. "I'm pretty good at last hurrahs. How about I take you out on the town tonight. Paris after dark is an amazing place to be."

Just say no, just say no, you have to be out of your mind! Paris at night with Zach? The sparks practically gave her third degree burns when they were in a run down cabin in the middle of a blizzard. How was she supposed to survive Paris? This is exactly why you are marrying JR – just turn the man down! "What time do you want to pick me up?"


	24. The Date

Chapter 24

"Kendall, are you sure this is a good idea? I am fully aware of how much the stuff that happened last winter affected you. Now you plan to go out with him on your last night here in Paris?" Kendall gave her sister an exasperated look. "I'm marrying JR in three days, Bianca. Do I look like someone who only does things based on whether or not they are a good idea?" She went back to putting on her lipstick, and Bianca just shook her head. Miranda sat on the floor, playing with Kendall's shoes. The doorbell rang. Maggie called out that she would get it. Fluffing out her hair, Kendall stood up and did a little twirl. Miranda shrieked in delight. Kendall ruffled her hair, and went out to the living room, Miranda running ahead of her. Maggie and Zach were sitting in silence. Zach stood up. He was wearing a black sports jacket and slacks, and a grey silk shirt. He looked dangerous in so many ways.

Zach gave Miranda a big hug. When he had set her down, he looked at Kendall. She was wearing a simple black sheath dress that fell to the knee. The bodice draped softly and the straps were beaded. He sighed inwardly. The kind of dress that was made for taking off. Stifling that thought, he produced a red rose and handed it to Kendall. She gave him an amused smile, and took it. "I knew there was something missing from my ensemble." She took some scissors from a drawer, and snipped the stem down. Then she tucked it over her left ear. "Perfect."

Kendall turned to Bianca. "Could I have the key to the apartment?" Bianca smiled and waved her hand. "Oh, I'm sure one of us will be up when you get home." Kendall raised one eyebrow. Bianca sighed and handed her a spare key. Kendall air kissed Bianca, then rubbed noses with Miranda. She grabbed a shawl, and preceded Zach out the door. When they had gone downstairs into the foyer, Zach pulled Kendall to him and kissed her. The scent of his aftershave had her reeling. For several moments he drank deeply of her, then finally pulled away. Breathing heavily, she looked at him with questioning eyes. "I figured we should get the goodnight kiss out of the way now, so that we avoid any possibility of it leading to something else." She shook her head at his arrogance, refusing to acknowledge that he was probably right.

They rode in a taxi to an elegant looking restaurant. Zach escorted her into the building. "I've heard very good things about this place. I've never been here." Kendall raised her eyebrows slightly. "There wasn't a favorite place of yours that you thought I might like?" The hostess came and led the way to their table. As they sat down, Zach stared out the window at the gorgeous view of the twinkling lights of Paris. "If I took you to one of my favorite places, then any time I went there again after this, it would make me think of you."

She picked up her menu and started to peruse it. "I forgot. You came to Paris to start fresh…cleanse yourself of all things Pine Valley. Then I come barging into your nice new life, six months later. That must really be annoying." Zach tapped his finger on the table. "Kendall, if I really didn't want you intruding on my new life, I would have simply walked out of the café the moment I heard your voice." She gripped the menu tighter. "You never explained why you left Pine Valley. Was it really so…oppressive that you had to escape it like before with your father?"

Zach shook his head. "I wasn't oppressed. Most of the people in town hated my guts, but that never bothered me since I didn't like them, either. Anyway, I had the approval of the most important person in town – Myrtle Fargate. I did go to see her a day before I left. She's an amazing woman." Zach privately reminisced about the conversation he had with the town matriarch. When he told her that he was leaving, she pressed him for the details on what had happened in that past week. He told her everything. When he was finished, she looked at him with those sharp eyes of hers. "So are you planning to take her with you to Paris?" He stared at her in bewilderment. "Maria? I just told you that she's staying with Edmund." Myrtle gave him an enigmatic smile. "No, I guess now isn't the time. You have some things to work out in your head. Someday the time will be right." She nodded and chuckled, while Zach shook his head and wondered if she was a hopeless romantic or just senile. Looking back on the conversation, Zach wondered if she had been talking about someone else besides Maria.

Zach looked up at Kendall and realized he hadn't answered the question. "I came to Pine Valley to win back the love of my life and to prove to everyone that my brother was not a monster. I failed miserably on both counts. Then Ethan came along and I tried to protect his identity. Failed with that too. Pretty much every good deed I tried to do ended up causing more heartache. That night at SOS I came to the realization that nothing I did was going to win Maria back to me. And nothing I did was going to turn Ethan from the Cambias path. The only option, really, was for me to leave. If I removed myself from the equation, then Maria and Edmund could get on with their marriage and Ethan could focus on something other than revenge."

Kendall looked at him, her eyes hooded and thoughtful. "Three months ago, Edmund and Maria flew to Vegas for a quickie divorce. Maria lives in New York City now and shares custody of the kids with Edmund. Since she left, he's been trying to convince Brooke to take him back." Having lobbed that grenade in his lap, she took a sip of water. In the ensuing silence, the waiter came over to take their order. Zach asked Kendall what she wanted, then placed the order for both of them in French. When the waiter left, he looked at Kendall and she raised one eyebrow. "I bet there are flights to New York every hour on the hour." She did not give her usual smirk.

Zach sipped his water. "I really hoped that my leaving would have made things better. I feel sad for her, but I'm not going to her. The other thing I realized that night was that Maria and I never belonged together. Maureen was just as much an illusion as Zach. Our romance was a fantasy. I needed so badly to be loved that I convinced myself that what we shared would last forever, and nobody – certainly not Edmund Grey – could get in the way of that." Tears sprang to Kendall's eyes as she listened to his voice get more and more gravelly. It had been that way with Ryan. Her cravings for love and justification had been so deep that Ryan had been unable to fulfill that need. It was why she had behaved so desperately a year ago. Zach's eyes told her that he understood.

They received their first course, and spent the rest of the meal talking about generalities. Kendall explained how Babe's criminal trial and media circus had contributed to Bianca's need to get away and final decision to go to Paris. Zach and Kendall left the restaurant and took a walk through the streets of Paris. She told him about how her mother wanted her to become executive producer for her new television show. Kendall opened up about how Ryan and Greenlee's renewed desire to have a child made her feel. They eventually stopped in front of a nightclub. "Gervaise made me promise to come in and play one set for him. He said that normally he would give me the night off completely, but his sister was visiting tonight and he wanted me to play a special song for her." Kendall smiled. "Its fine with me."

They went in. A man walked rapidly up to Zach, his face full of relief. He spoke rapid French. Zach introduced Kendall to Gervaise. Gervaise bowed, then with an apologetic look, swept Zach away. Kendall ambled to the bar. "What can I get you, madamoiselle?" She looked at the bartender, startled that he spoke English. Then she realized that he probably saw her come in with Zach. "You must be Michel." The bartender beamed. "Zach has told you about me?" She smiled. "Enough to know to keep my mouth shut around you." Michel roared with laughter. When he had recovered, she requested some white wine. He poured it for her, and gave her a piercing look. "I can tell right away that you are not the one who emptied out Zach's heart." She shook her head. "You're right. I'm not." He raised one eyebrow. She gave him a hard smile. "I'm not going to be the one to fill it up, either. He's just going to have to make do with the saxophone." Michel leaned on the bar, assessing her with narrowed eyes. "So what is going to fill your empty heart, madamoiselle?" Her smile disappeared completely. She lifted her wine glass. "Down the hatch." She took a long swallow, and turned around to face the stage. Zach was just beginning a saxophone solo, much to the delight of a matronly woman at a table in front.

Kendall watched as Zach played a slow, mournful melody. A few couples got up and danced, their arms wrapped tight around each other. The cigarette smoke made the air hazy, giving Zach a dreamlike appearance. His eyes were closed, his lips wrapped around the mouthpiece, his fingers softly squeezing the buttons on the sax. Kendall took another long swallow of wine. Her head started to spin, but she suspected that it wasn't the alcohol. Not even Ryan had made her feel longing this incredible. Usually the men were piled up at her feet. Zach was across the room, not even looking at her, and she wanted him so badly. She turned around and set the wine flute on the bartop. "Michel, could I have some ice water, please." The bartender chuckled. "Do you want it in a glass or poured on top of your head?" She glared daggers at him, and he walked away, laughing, to fill her request. She put her head in her hands. It was worse than she had feared. Zach wasn't even touching her and she was close to surrendering. It was a good thing that when it came time for him to walk her home, her family would be waiting for her inside the apartment.


	25. Leading to the Inevitable

Chapter 25

Zach finished his set and joined Kendall at the bar. "Would you like to dance before we go? Desiree is about to start her set, and she has a fantastic voice." Kendall looked at him with wary eyes. He noticed that her skin was flushed all over. "Are you alright?" She nodded her head. "I'm fine. I umm….I guess I'd love to dance." Pausing to make sure she really was fine, he led her out to the dance floor. The music started, and when he took her in his arms, he suddenly realized why she had looked wary. Asking her to dance had not been one of his better ideas. He felt his entire body start to vibrate with tension. His hands involuntarily found their way to her back, which the dress partially exposed. He felt her shiver as he ran his fingertips up and down her spine. Desiree began to sing, and Zach found himself smiling at the words. "The very thought of you, and I forget to do, the little ordinary things, that everyone ought to do…."

Kendall knew she shouldn't have agreed to dance. The only reason she had was because she figured they couldn't get into that much trouble in a public place. How did it come to this? A year ago, if someone had told her she would be dancing with Zach Slater and ready to devour him on the dance floor, she would have checked herself into a pysch ward. She shifted her head on his shoulder, so she could whisper in his ear. "Zach, what did you think of me when you first met me?" Zach chuckled, and she could feel the rumble in his chest.

"When I met you, Kendall, I already knew who you were. I'd read all about you in newspaper articles relating to Michael. I remember being quite amazed at your various shenanigans. You reminded me a lot of one of those dames in the old black and white detective movies. The one who keeps everyone guessing what her real motive is. The one who is trouble with a capital T. I was quite prepared not to like you at all, to avoid you at all costs. When you showed up in Vegas with Ryan, I got to see the real Kendall. You thought you hid it well, but I could see the quiet desperation in your eyes. I thought at first it was concern for your mother. And that was certainly a great part of it. But part of it also had to do with Ryan. You wanted him back so badly that you were ready to do anything crazy to get him. That same quiet desperation came into my eyes the moment I saw Maria's picture in the Pine Valley Bulletin.

Kendall nestled her head further into his neck and sighed. "It took a long time to get over Ryan, but I did it. It became much easier when I finally realized that he wasn't worth chasing. He didn't treat me as a priority, and so I had no self-respect around him. The more I see him with Greenlee, the more it crystallizes. He does treat her as a priority. He genuinely loves her in a way he couldn't love me. I tell myself it isn't because I'm unlovable. It just means that it wasn't meant to be with him, and that I belong to someone else in this world." She lifted her head up, and stopped dancing. She looked straight at Zach. "I need to…um….I need some fresh air." He frowned in concern. She turned around and headed for the exit.

As soon as she hit the street, she breathed deeply, over and over. What in the world had come over her, spilling her guts like that? She had never been so mesmerized by a pair of strong arms and heady aftershave that she would share her innermost secrets like that. What kind of spell was he putting on her? She flinched as she felt Zach drape her shawl over her. He turned her around gently and tilted her chin. "You want to tell me what happened back there?" She shook her head free and looked down. "I think you better take me home."

Zach stared down at the top of her lowered head. He wanted to press her, but decided that she would probably shut down even further. He sighed and took her elbow. "Its not too far, we'll walk." They strolled along in silence for awhile. After a time, Zach commented, "Its amazing not only that Bianca and I have been in the same city for four months, but that we also live so close together. Her apartment is only three blocks from here. I'm in this building, here." He gestured at the building they were passing. Kendall stopped short and stared up at it. Zach cracked a smile. "Want to come up and see my etchings?" She looked at Zach thoughtfully, appearing not to have heard his joke. "You say that Bianca is only three blocks from here?" Zach nodded.

Kendall bit her lip. "Zach, it occurred to me as we were walking that we haven't discussed Ethan at all. We need to talk about him before I leave, but there is no way its going to get done in three blocks.." Zach raised his eye brows. "So, you're suggesting we…..?" Kendall glanced up at his building again. "I think we need to go up to your apartment where we can have some privacy." Zach paused. "Privacy? To talk about Ethan?" She nodded slowly. He smiled mischieviously. He guestured towards the door with his hand. "Well, then. Come into my lair, little lamb." She rolled her eyes and followed him to the entrance. They took the elevator up to the 17th floor and Zach unlocked his apartment.

Zach offered her a drink, and she shook her head. She sat down in the chair next to the sofa. Zach took off his sports jacket and draped it on the sofa. Then he sat down and leaned back, his hands behind his head. "So how's my boy doing? I hope he's getting straight A's. Not being picked on by the school bully is he? Or is he the school bully?" Kendall glared at him. "You can cut with the fake sarcasm. I know you well enough by now to see through that act." Zach switched his hands from behind his head to his knees. "The reason why I haven't asked how Ethan is doing is because I don't want to know. The last thing I need is a report about how he is slowly getting eaten alive by Cambias Industries."

Kendall leaned her arms against her knees. "You're so sure that he's turning to the dark side." Zach shrugged. "I don't always enjoy being right, but usually I am." Kendall stood up and walked over to the large window that showed a lovely view of the city. "He was certainly on his way down that path last winter. When you sold your casinos and left without a trace, he was furious. He expended a lot of time and money looking for you. He became more and more distant. You see, after we broke up we reverted to being friends again. He also spent a lot of time with Bianca and Miranda. But then he spent more time at work. I could tell he was withdrawing. When Bianca moved to Paris, it really affected him. He came to Pine Valley looking for his family, and now that he'd found them, they all left him. For awhile he was just consumed by work and by making money. He even tried to put the Miranda Center project on hold by diverting the construction crews to other projects, but I wouldn't let him get away with it."

Then one day he found out that Tad Martin had a dossier on you. Apparently Edmund and some others were trying to find out what you were up to when you first came to town. Ethan requested the file and started reading up on you. He switched from being obsessed about finding where you are now, to finding out who you were then. He wanted to know what made you tick. Wanted to know exactly why you had faked your own death. Wanted to look beyond his own pain to know why you had lied to him about being his father. He pored over information about Zach Slater, about Alexander Cambias, Jr. About Alexander Cambias, Sr. He found out a lot of nasty things about his grandfather. He was just horrified by how ruthless the man was. Just last month, Zach, he came to me and told me that he finally understood. He finally connected the dots that someone who hated the Cambias name so much that he would fake his death, would of course try and shield his son from that life. He confided in me that I had been right that revenge is hollow. He really wished that he hadn't driven you away. I told him that we should write a book together and call it, "My Parents Make Stupid Mistakes, and Apparently It's Genetic."

Zach laughed involuntarily. Then he went quiet again. "So you really think he is at a turning point? You think he is not going to become my father?" Kendall sat down next to him and covered his hands with hers. "Zach, the company by itself cannot hurt Ethan. If your father was still alive and had gotten his hooks into your son, then it would have been inevitable. But your father is gone. Michael is gone. Money and power can change a person, sure. But other people do a much bigger job of shaping the way you think, and Ethan has had some help heading in the right direction. You know, he hired Jack to be the company's top lawyer. Bianca has been his partner in this the whole time. I really think that with time and maturity, he will use his power for good and not for evil."

Zach moved one his hands and set it on top of hers. "Thank you for telling me all this. I can't help but feel dubious that he's really changed his mind about me. I'm not sure that he would want me back in his life right now. Just in case that itch for revenge is still there, I think I'll stay away a bit longer. I'm not so much afraid of what he'll do to me, but of what he'll do to himself." Kendall narrowed her eyes. "Are you saying you want Bianca and I to pretend we didn't see you here?" Zach shook his head. "No, don't lie. Never lie. I still have my spies around. If Ethan comes after me, I'll make sure to take a vacation."

Kendall slipped her hands out from between his. She leaned back on the sofa. "This is all so complicated." Zach leaned back also. "So what does Ethan think about you marrying JR?" She shook her head. "Oh, he was livid. He threatened JR, telling him that he would dismantle Chandler Enterprises. I told him I would never speak to him again if he did that. Then he told JR that he would sell him the company and bribe the judge in the custody suit if he would leave me alone. I'm not sure why, but JR wouldn't take him up on that offer." Zach smirked. "I know why, he wants it all. He wants the company, he wants his son, and he wants you." Kendall rolled her eyes. "I told you, Zach, he is well aware that this is strictly business. I will be his wife in name only." Zach shook his head. "He may be pretending to go along with you, but he wants you and he is used to getting what he wants."

Kendall gazed at him. "Aren't you used to getting what you want?" He stared back at her, and nodded his head slowly. "Yes, but I don't take anything by force. If it came to that, I would just walk away." She smiled wryly. "Yes you would, wouldn't you?" He reached over and trailed a finger across her jawline. She was startled by a noise very close to them that sounded like a jazz tune. Zach sighed. "My cell phone. It only rings if it is very important. Excuse me." He fished it out of his jacket and answered it in French, walking into the bedroom.

Kendall murmured to herself, "Saved by the bell? Or not?" She was beginning to wonder why she and Zach were fighting their attraction. So what if they ended up having sex? They were both mature adults who could walk away from a one night stand with nothing but pleasant memories. Her whole body turned to jelly at the thought. But then she realized the error of her thinking. It was true that she'd had casual sex before. But sex with Zach would be anything but casual. Would she really be able to walk away the next morning unscathed? If the answer to that was "no," would it still be worth it anyway? Kendall stood up, exasperated with herself. She couldn't seem to decide if she was talking herself into sex or talking herself out of it. That was assuming Zach even wanted to take the plunge, so to speak. Sure he was attracted to her, but he might still be mourning Maria. Or he might still think that Kendall was trouble with a capital T.

Kendall wandered over to Zach's bookcase. There was one of those nifty Bose speakers that cradled an iPod on it. Boys and their toys. Curious, Kendall checked to see what was last played. The little screen said "Styx. Show Me The Way." Kendall frowned. That seemed familiar to her. She wracked her brain trying to think of the tune. Maybe if she played it, she would remember. Would he mind? She reached out her finger to push Play, when Zach's voice startled her. "Putting on a little mood music?" She shrugged. "I don't know. The title looks familiar, but I can't place it. I was about to jog my memory." Zach glanced at the screen and then glanced back at her. He had a strange look on his face.

Suddenly, Kendall just wanted to forget the song. She wanted to ask the question she'd been dying to ask Zach all evening. "I told you while we were dancing that I'm over Ryan. Are you…do you still love Maria?" Zach looked away a moment, then back at her. "Yes, I do. She will always be in my heart." Kendall kept her face impassive, inwardly frustrated by the reply. "Do you still want to be with her?" Zach slowly shook his head. "No, I do not." Kendall breathed deeply and pressed further. "You didn't stop wanting her after she left you the first time. What was different this time? Did you meet a woman, here in Paris?" Zach smiled. "There is a woman, but I didn't meet her in Paris. She didn't help me get over Maria. Time and perspective did that. This woman did, however, help me to look forward. You could say that she showed me the way."

Zach reached over and pushed the Play button. Music flooded the apartment, and the hair on Kendall's neck stood up. It was the song from the cabin. "Every night I say a prayer in the hope that there's a heaven…" She had fallen asleep to it and dreamt about Zach. Zach had been having a nightmare, and when he woke up, he pulled her towards him. She'd been convinced that he was going to take her right then and there, and to her amazement she had known that she was going to let him.

"Show me the way, show me the way. Take me tonight to the river and wash my illusions away…" Zach watched Kendall's face as she remembered that night so long ago. Half awake, he had grabbed ahold of her like a lifeline, taking a risk that she would reject him and he would drown. Tonight, here in his apartment, he reached for her again. The risk wasn't that she would reject him. From the look in her eyes, there was no question of that. This time the risk was whether he would drown anyway.


	26. At Last

Chapter 26

Zach reached out his hand and gently touched her collarbone. His fingertips slid up her neck and along her jawline to curve behind her ear. He reached out his other hand, and stroked her hair, weaving his fingers into the thick curls behind her other ear. He pulled her to him and kissed her. Kendall slid her hands up his shirt, marveling in the feel of the smooth silk against the contours of his chest. His kisses were gentle, yet she could feel the underlying passion, barely restrained. It fed her own response. His hands moved down her neck, and smoothed over her shoulders. As he ran his hands up and down her arms, he broke the kiss to move his lips down her neck, pausing to breath in the scent she had put behind her ear earlier. A sound rumbled in his throat. His lips continued down to her shoulders, and he curled his fingers through the strap of her dress, pulling it down. The delicate strap broke, and the decorative beads scattered. They both laughed, and his eyes sought hers in apology and exasperation.

Kendall raised one eyebrow and pulled down the other strap. The dress slid effortlessly to the floor. She now wore nothing but a bare wisp of underwear and her high heels. He breathed in very deeply, and admired her for a few moments. Then he swept her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom. He gently lay her on the bed. He leaned over her and whispered in her ear. "Are you absolutely sure you want to do this?" Her smile was mischievous. "I hope you're not going to warn me that 'Once you have Zach, you can never go back.'" He grinned. "I didn't think I had to say anything, it's pretty much understood."

He kissed her, settling his body next to hers, exploring her with his hands. She concentrated (or at least tried to) on unbuttoning his shirt. When she got his shirt off, she gaped. "Those suits you wear really don't do you justice." Then he did something with his lips that made her forget to ask where he worked out. When she came out of her fog, she realized that he was still wearing his pants. "Are you ever going to get naked?" He chuckled. "It's harder for the man. It takes more than a flick of the wrist for us, you know. Then there's the problem of being so easily distracted." He investigated what turned out to be a particularly sensitive spot on her torso. After purring for a moment, she pushed him onto his back so she could get his pants off. Having succeeded, she nodded in appreciation. "Boxer-briefs. My favorite. So am I going to do all the work here?" He glanced at her panties. "Well, I'd be happy to take care of those, but do you have to lose the high heels?"

She flipped her hair back. "Its your bed, you call the shots." His eyebrows shot up. "Are you sure you want to give me that much power?" Her smile was enticing. "Oh, I'm guessing I have some influence over you." He pulled her down on top of him. "I think you can feel the truth of that yourself." Kendall was unable to respond, because his action brought the vast majority of their skin in contact. Her head sagged against his. "I don't think I'm going to be able to keep up the witty banter." Zach rolled her over so that he was now on top. "Then shut up." He covered her mouth with his, while at the same time disposing of the pesky underwear problem that she complained about earlier.

Zach paused, wanting to preserve this perfect moment on the precipice. "Kendall?" Her eyes were closed, her expression dreamy. "Mmmm?" He smoothed a stray curl away from her face. "I was very surprised when you walked into that café this morning. And somehow I wasn't. Deep inside I knew we would cross paths again. Hearing you argue with Etienne was like Fate giving me a wink." She opened her eyes, and gave him a rather wobbly smile. "And all I wanted to do was slap that beard right off your face." Her eyes widened. "I just noticed…you shaved it!" He grinned. "First time in six months." She stroked his smooth jawline. He kissed her again, and this time there was no playfulness, no banter, not even coherent thought. There was only sweet sensation.


	27. Other Priorities Intrude

Chapter 27

Kendall became aware of laughter and someone speaking in French. She opened her eyes and felt disoriented for a moment. Then she smiled. She was in Zach's bedroom. As she stretched, she heard a door close, and Zach came strolling into the room. He had a bag in one hand, and a tray with cups in the other hand. "Breakfast! I called Etienne and asked him to have it delivered. He told me that since I have never asked for delivery before, there could only be one reason. So he said it was on the house." She smiled, biting the side of her lip. "This is the first time you've had breakfast delivered to a girl here in your bed?" Zach set the coffee cups on the side table, and then cheerfully flopped next to her on the bed. Kendall almost laughed at his positively boyish expression. "I've lived the life of a monk, here in Paris. The folks at the jazz club have been horrified by my celibacy. They're always threatening to ship me off to someplace where that sort of thing might be appreciated - like Tibet."

Zach opened up the bag. "I got a variety of things because I wasn't sure what you like. Brioche, croissants, cream puffs. Also, Etienne's special secret coffee blend that goes down smooth and then slaps your insides awake. I usually need it, too, because the jazz club keeps me out pretty late." Kendall picked out a brioche with a dusting of powdered sugar on it. "I've never heard you say the name of the jazz club. I don't recall seeing a sign, either." Zach selected a chocolate cream puff and licked the sides. "It doesn't have a name. Gervaise apparently went through many name options, thinking that they all sounded too pretentious or affected. He finally threw up his hands and decided that it would just be called 'the jazz club.' That's not the name of the club, just what its called." He looked up and saw that Kendall was staring at him. She blinked when she saw his questioning look. "I um…got distracted watching you lick all the cream out of that puff." Zach paused mid-bite. Seeing the look in her eyes, he set what was left of his pastry on the side table, then took Kendall's brioche and set it aside as well. Then he reached for Kendall.

They eventually got around to finishing their breakfast. Kendall was putting on her dress, and sighed in exasperation over the broken strap. "This is going to sag down too much for me to go out in public." She looked around and spotted Zach's shirt on the floor. She grabbed it and put it on over her dress, rolling up the sleeves and knotting it in front. "This will get me back to Bianca's, at least." Zach gazed at her for a moment. "Kendall, I was wondering if you would consider…" A knock at the door interrupted them. Zach was surprised. He went into the living room to answer it, Kendall trailing behind him. He opened up and saw his son standing there. Kendall exclaimed, "Ethan? What are you doing here?"

Ethan pushed past them into the apartment. "I called Bianca last night to ask how Miranda was doing. She told me about seeing you, Zach. Naturally, I hopped a jet, made a few phone calls to find out where you lived, and 'Voila!' here I am to settle some unfinished business." Ethan looked over at Kendall. "Did he hurt you, Kendall?" She frowned in puzzlement. "Of course not, why would Zach hurt me?" Ethan glared at Zach. "To get back at me, of course. When I took away his gaming licenses, he fled town, but I knew….I knew that he had to be plotting his revenge. And now I know that he's using you to do it."

The resounding crack of Kendall's hand against Ethan's cheek startled them all. "How dare you! How dare you imply that Zach only thinks of me as some tool. Zach may only be interested in getting into my pants, but at least it is a personal interest in me. The world does not revolve around you, Ethan. Where is this coming from, anyway? I thought you finally understood why Zach denied you were his son. I thought you had come to the place where you wished that he hadn't left town. Were you putting me on? Was Zach right to be skeptical that you weren't ready to forgive him?"

Ethan stared at her, holding his hand to his cheek. Zach leaned against a doorjamb. Kendall threw up her hands. "I think you two need to work this out between yourselves. Make peace or kill each other. I can't be a part of it." She grabbed her little purse and walked out the door. She paused on the threshhold just long enough to look at Zach in silent goodbye. He gave her a small smile. Then she was gone.

Ethan glared at Zach. "Please tell me that you didn't sleep with her to get back at me. Was it because she slept with your brother and me, so you wanted to get in on the action?" Zach walked up to Ethan and with one hand pushed him down onto the couch. He leaned over him. "Don't think I can't still take you over my knee, boy. I don't want you talking about Kendall anymore. It's none of your business. You open your mouth and so much as say the name 'Kendall' I will make sure you regret it." Ethan stared at him incredulously. "You and…er…Whatshername seem to have quite the violent streak these days. I guess you really are into each other."

Zach straightened up and stepped back. Ethan stood up. "Does this mean she's not going to marry JR? I don't know whether that's a good thing or a bad thing." Zach's cell phone emitted it's jazzy little tune. He fetched it and checked the ID. It was Etienne. "Thanks for breakfast. The cream puffs were especially enticing." Etienne chuckled. "Merci, but I did not call to check up on your pastries. I know you told me when I called you last night that you were going to take the day off – I assume to spend with your lady love – but unfortunately we are having major problems. No less than three of our regular volunteers will not make it today. Rene is positively frantic. Do you know anyone at all who could come?" Zach glanced over at Ethan. "You're in luck. My plans were cancelled, so I can come. I will also bring someone with me." Zach listened to the effusive Frenchman for a minute, then said his goodbyes.

Ethan folded his arms. "Is that 'someone' supposed to be me?" Zach nodded and smiled. "If you want to take care of that unfinished business between us, you'll have to come with me. I'm needed urgently. Its also time you made yourself useful." Ethan narrowed his eyes. "Doing what?" Zach grabbed his wallet and keys and opened the door to the apartment. "I'll tell you on the way." Ethan paused for a moment, then followed. Minutes later they were heading into a Metro station. Ethan looked around. "Don't you have a car?" Zach shook his head. "It's impractical in a big city. Even if I did have one, I wouldn't take it to where we're going. We're heading to a rough part of town in order to volunteer at a homeless shelter."

Ethan looked at Zach as if he had grown two extra heads. Zach tried to figure out if this was because Ethan didn't want to be caught dead in a homeless shelter, or maybe he was just surprised that Zach would be caught in one. Zach was still a bit surprised himself. He hadn't planned on getting involved with the shelter. He was strolling by his favorite café one day, and saw Etienne packing boxes into a van. Apparently every day the old man took all his leftover pastries from the morning to the shelter. He invited Zach to come with him, and the rest was history.

-----------------

Kendall entered Bianca's apartment and when she closed the door, she sighed and leaned back on it. Bianca looked up from paying bills. "Thanks for letting me know you'd be out all night." Kendall grimaced. "Sorry Binks. It wasn't exactly planned. I couldn't very well call you while in the heat of the moment." Bianca held up her hand. "Spare me the details. I'm glad you are all right. Miranda and Maggie should be getting back from the playground any minute so you can say goodbye. Unless…you aren't leaving today?" Kendall bit her lip. "Well, Zach and I do need to sort some things out between us. But he needs to sort things out with Ethan first, so I should probably go home and get out of their way." Bianca gave her a puzzled look. "Ethan? He called last night, and I told him about seeing Zach. Did he find out Zach's phone number and call him?" Kendall laughed. "Binks, he did more than that. He showed up on Zach's doorstep this morning." Bianca's eyes widened.

At that moment, Maggie came through the door with Miranda. Bianca grabbed her up and gave her a big kiss. Kendall came over and ruffled Miranda's hair. "I better go pack if I'm going to be out of here in an hour." Bianca looked at the clock. "My goodness, you're right. I better get Miranda cleaned up so we can take you." Kendall waved her hand. "Are you kidding me? I'm not going to make you drag a toddler around an airport. I'll just get an airport limo." She went into the guest room to pack. She put her suitcase on the bed, and started to untie Zach's shirt. She paused a moment to breath in the scent of his cologne. She'd lived an old cliché and had a magical night in Paris. Kendall had a feeling the night would have been magical no matter where they had been. She clutched the shirt, as the cynical side of her sneered at her use of the word 'magical.' She threw the shirt on the bed next to the suitcase, disgusted with herself for being so sappy.

She quickly changed out of her dress and into something comfortable for the flight. After she had finished putting all her clothes and toiletries into the suitcase, she picked up Zach's shirt and folded it neatly. Should she give it to Bianca to return to Zach? The cynical side of her screamed, "Get rid of it!" Nevertheless, she gently put it in the suitcase. If Zach wanted it back, he would just have to come get it in Pine Valley.

Kendall's flight back to the U.S. was uneventful. When she'd finally cleared customs, she was startled to see JR waiting for her. Then she remembered that he had promised to pick her up. He smiled. "You look beautiful. Paris certainly agrees with you." He kissed her cheek, and tucked her arm in his. "How about we go have a drink at the lounge while my chauffer fetches your luggage?" She handed the chauffer her claim ticket. "It's a large suitcase with a green paisley print." JR escorted her to the lounge. As soon as she walked in, she suddenly realized where she was. This was where Zach kissed her on New Year's Eve. Her eyes flew to the booth in the back. JR gestured to it. "You like that one?" She shook her head. "Um, no, let's sit at the bar."

Kendall never passed by the lounge on her few trips to see Bianca, so this was the first time being confronted with that particular memory. The passion in that kiss had overwhelmed her. Even now, so soon after they had consummated that passion, she felt the heat of it. JR touched her arm and she jumped. "Are you okay?" She nodded. "I just get tense travelling. Always afraid I'm going to show up at the wrong gate, or wondering if my luggage made it okay. Never mind, how's it going with you? All set for the custody hearing?" JR tapped his fingers on the bar. "The hearing date has been moved up to tomorrow. I know we weren't supposed to get married for two more days, but I was hoping we could go directly to the courthouse from here."

Kendall gaped at him. "You mean get married today?" JR bit his lip and gave her the puppy dog look. "I know it's short notice, but my hands are tied. Please be okay with this, Kendall. You're my only ace in the hole." She tried to smile reassuringly, but probably failed. She took a deep breath. "JR, I need to go to the ladies room. I'll be back in a few minutes." She tried not to walk too quickly from the lounge. She found a relatively quiet corner in the vicinity of the restroom. Her thoughts were so muddled. She should have known that sleeping with Zach was going to be a lot more than scratching an itch. Something had changed between them. Enough that she had to wonder if she should marry JR after all. On the one hand, it was essentially just a business transaction. She wouldn't exactly be bonding her heart or even her body to JR. And it wasn't like she was going to need her wedding ring finger free any time soon. Whatever was going on with Zach was in the early stages. When JR gets sole custody of his son, and everything has been sorted out, they would annul their marriage and she would be free for whatever else developed. On the other hand, marriage was such a major milestone, symbolically. Plus, she was sure that Zach has probably had quite enough of wooing married women. Then there was her own self-destructive nature to factor in. Her personal reason for marrying JR, after all, was to avoid falling in love, and now here she was thinking about cancelling the whole thing because she was….

Kendall squeezed her eyes shut and sucked in her breath. No, no, no, no, no! She was not even going to contemplate that she could be falling for Zach. It was just sex, damn it! Really great, fundamentally awesome sex, but that was it. Tears threatened to fill her eyes as she thought about the silly grin on Zach's face as he lounged in bed eating a cream puff. This was stupid. Here she was torturing herself, and for all she knew, Zach could care less whether she married JR. He hadn't really given his opinion on the subject. He'd had a look of distaste when she told him about their plans, but JR seemed to bring that out in a lot of people.

Kendall fingered her cell phone. She would call him, and let him know she got back to Pine Valley. She would mention that she had his shirt, and that she left her shawl at his place. And oh, by the way, the wedding has been moved to today. She nodded to herself and dialed his cell number. A voice that sounded like Ethan answered. "Ethan? This is Kendall. Why are you answering Zach's cell?" There was a lot of noise in the background. "Kendall! Zach's occupied at the moment. It's been a long, busy day. Is there a message I can give him?" Well that's just great, she thought, not at all what I planned. "Um…I just wanted to let him know that the wedding to JR has been moved to today." There was a loud noise. "Damnit, Kendall! You're making a big mistake. JR will eat you alive. I asked Zach about this earlier, but we didn't end up talking about it. Some other things came up. Listen, he'll have to call you back. We're really swamped here. I have to go." Ethan hung up before she could say goodbye.

Now she was really confused. They didn't end up talking about it? What did that mean? Kendall couldn't even begin to guess where they were or what they were doing. She took comfort in the thought that wherever they were, they were together. They needed each other, and she wanted it to work out for them so much. At that moment, it became clear why she had to marry JR. Little Adam needed to be with his father, and she could help accomplish that. She walked back to the lounge so she could tell JR the good news.

-------------

Ethan put Zach's cell phone back in his pocket. He went over to where Zach had just finished helping an old man sit down at a table with a tray of food. Ethan pulled him aside. "Zach, you just got a call from Kendall. Her wedding to JR was moved to today. It was hard to tell with all the noise, but it sounded like she wasn't sure what to do. I think you need to call her and convince her not to go through with it." Zach closed his eyes. He was mentally and physically exhausted from working at the shelter for so many hours. He didn't have the emotional capacity to deal with this. But time was apparently ticking. He reached out his hand. Ethan started to pull the cell out, but his eyes widened, and a fraction of a second later there was shouting. Zach turned around and saw that two of the shelter's most notorious customers had started a food fight. He and Ethan sprung into action.


	28. Seeking Counsel

Chapter 28

Zach slowly became aware of light piercing his eyes. Was someone shining a flashlight in his face? He opened his eyes far enough to squint. It was sunlight. What? He looked over at his bedside clock. It was two o'clock in the afternoon. His window faced west, so this was the first time he'd ever had sunlight wake him up. He rubbed his face. How the heck had he slept so late? He vaguely recalled working at the homeless shelter for what seemed like an endless amount of time. But even physically exhausted he should have woken up earlier than this. Something happened. He recalled the ride home on the metro with Ethan. Zach sat up in bed, trying to clear his thoughts. The sudden movement sent a wave of pain and nausea through him and he had to lay down again. A hangover. He slowly remembered offering to show Ethan the jazz club. Instead of playing the sax, he decided to sit at the bar and have a drink or two. Judging by the time and his head, it must have been a lot more than one drink.

He hadn't been this drunk since Christmas. Why had he done it? He rolled over to get the sun out of his face, and caught a scent in the pillow next to his. Kendall. Only yesterday she had woken up in this very bed. Now she was back in Pine Valley, and quite possibly married to JR Chandler. Zach buried his face in the pillow. Was this why he had gotten drunk? He couldn't wrap his head around it. It was like his mind was blocking off any attempt to analyze his feelings for Kendall – a failsafe mechanism. What he needed was some of Etienne's coffee. It was too late for the pastries – they would have all been delivered to the shelter by now. Etienne always made some confections for lunch, but they were more for dessert.

Zach slowly sat up, getting a better result. The more he thought about it, what he needed more than Etienne's coffee was Etienne's advice. He was Zach's Parisian Myrtle. Zach tried standing up and succeeded. Once he was able to pull the shades, his headache lessened and he was able to get dressed. As he was passing his coffee table, he saw a note. It was from Ethan, saying that he was going to spend some time with Miranda. Zach also noted that his cell phone was giving its low beep that indicated voice mail. He didn't want to listen, in case it was Kendall telling him that she had married JR.

When he entered the café, Etienne threw his hands up in welcome. By the time Zach reached the counter, the old man had set a cup of coffee on it, and a small plate with a cream puff. "I saved one for you, my friend." Zach stared at the pastry, trying to decide if it was his stomach or his heart doing flip flops. "I'll just take the coffee, thanks." Etienne gave him a piercing look, then called to his assistant to take over the counter. Then he took Zach's coffee, and walked with it to a table in the far corner. Zach followed him, amazed that he had read his mind so easily.

"I must admit, my friend, that I was hoping you would come and talk to me. After six months of brooding you run into the little spitfire that you obviously already know. It is easy to guess that she was the reason you ordered breakfast for two. But then you cancel your day off and show up at the shelter with a young man that seems very much like you in a way that I can only speculate. The tension is very thick, but you work together and leave together. Now you are back here, very much past the breakfast hour and with the look of a hangover. No spitfire, and no young…friend." Etienne leaned back and waited. Zach told him everything.

Etienne tapped his chin. "Very interesting relationship you have had with this young woman. I can see why you would be confused about your status with her. If we ignore for a moment your own relationship with Kendall, what is it that concerns you the most about her marrying JR?" Zach sipped his coffee. "JR won't be content with a platonic marriage. He wants to own Kendall, body and soul. He will try and manipulate her, and if he is not successful, he could very well turn spiteful." Etienne nodded his head. "A husband, whether he is a real husband or one in name only, can have a great deal of influence over his wife. However, no one has more influence over a woman than her lover." Zach looked up at Etienne, startled. "What exactly are you saying?" Etienne leaned in. "It is apparently too late to stop her from marrying this man. But you can prevent him from hurting her by placing yourself in between them. That is the most important thing at the moment. Your feelings for each other will sort themselves out once the farce of a marriage is over."

Zach turned his coffee cup around and around. "Etienne…that is a good idea, in theory. I should know, I thought it was a terrific idea. So terrific that I've already done it. Or tried to, anyway." He told Etienne about Maria and Edmund. "I can't go back there again and try the same stunt all over again. I know this isn't the exact same situation. But it is similar enough, and my heart is still raw from the last time." Etienne put his hand on Zach's shoulder. "Oh, my friend, I am so sorry for what you have been through. But you must understand that the two situations really are different. You tried to break up Maria's marriage because you thought she would be happier with you than with her husband. You loved her so deeply that you needed to believe that. Because of that, I am sorry to say, it was a foolish plan. My plan is not foolish because this time it is not about her choosing you over him. This time it is about protecting her from him. In your plan, you had to overcome a marriage that had been established many years, and resulted in two children. In this situation, the young lady is doing a favor for the young man. And if I may be blunt, she has not been in his bed, she has been in yours. I am not a betting man, but I think I would lay odds of you succeeding. And let us not forget that the goal is more altruistic. If she does reject you in the end, at least you have tried to do some good."

Etienne spread his hands wide. "The alternative is that you stay here in Paris and leave her to her fate." Zach gripped the now empty coffee cup. "Why not? Kendall is no fool. She wouldn't marry JR without knowing the risks." Etienne shook his head. "But you told me that she is doing this because he is her friend. She is thinking only in terms of helping him and his little boy. Of course she would not be thinking of her own desirability or how the marriage would make her vulnerable. From what you have described, she may not be a fool, but she does make outlandish decisions for the most noble of reasons." Zach rubbed his hands on his face. "Go back to Pine Valley….I don't know, Etienne." The old man stood up and patted Zach's shoulder again. "You will do whatever you think is best, my friend. I will go and get you some more coffee." A few minutes later, the assistant came over with some more coffee. In a to go cup. Zach chuckled to himself.


	29. Charging In

Chapter 29

Zach stood at the doorway to the Chandler mansion. He couldn't believe he was here. He was about to go play games with a spoiled little boy to protect a woman who needed a keeper 24/7 to keep her out of trouble. He rang the doorbell. The jetlag was starting to get to him. He didn't sleep well on the airplane. The door opened and a middle-aged woman in a uniform asked how she could help him. "I'm here to see Kendall." She raised her eyebrows in surprise. "I see. Come in and have a seat and I will find out if she is available. Your name?" Zach followed her to the living room. "Zach Slater." He made to sit down and she smiled and nodded as she left the room through a door at the far end. Zach abandoned his pretense of sitting and followed her discreetly. She knocked on a door, and then poked her head through. From the crack in the door, it looked like an office. "I apologize for disturbing you, but there is a Zach Slater here to see you." Zach heard JR exclaim. "What the hell is he doing here?" Then he heard Kendall's voice, sounding breathless, "Let him in!" The woman backed out of the doorway and almost collided with Zach, who was standing behind her. "Um..er..you may go in now, sir."

Zach went through the door. Showtime. He pasted a big grin on his face. "Sweetheart!" He walked towards Kendall and dipped her into a kiss. When he set her upright, she gave him a look like he had just bitten off her nose. JR gave him a look like he had just bitten off his wife's nose. "I sincerely hope there is some other reason why you are here." Zach put his arm around Kendall. "Not really. I wanted to let Kendall know in person that I made it into town okay. I know that it's usually considered in poor taste for the other man to kiss his lover in front of her husband, but since your marriage is in name only, I figured it didn't matter."

Kendall's eyes widened. "Zach, there's something you should know." JR held up his hand, a smug look on his face. "Let me do it, Kendall. You'll just try to break it to him gently, and that's really not going to work in this case. You see, Zach, Kendall and I don't have a marriage in name only." JR emphasized the last three words, drawing them out. "Therefore your role as the 'other man' is obsolete. Now if you don't mind, I'm in the middle of a custody hearing, and Kendall and I are going over some things for tomorrow. You can see yourself out." Kendall rolled her eyes. "Zach, he's trying to jerk your chain, don't listen to him." Zach ignored the knots that were forming in his stomach. He kept his face impassive. He asked casually, "So he's lying about the marriage having been consummated?" Kendall shook her head. "No, he…I…ugh! JR, please leave. I need to talk to Zach alone." JR put up his hands, palm out. "Whoa, Kendall. We have work to do here. Today's part of the hearing didn't go well. We need to get a lock on your testimony." Kendall folded her arms. "How about this. You leave us alone for ten minutes, and I won't have to testify against you in the hearing." JR dropped his hands and walked towards the door. "You fight dirty, Kendall. It's one of the things I love about you." He gave Kendall a swift kiss, and she shoved him towards the door.

When JR was gone, Kendall turned to Zach. "Look, let me explain what's going on here." Zach reached out and caressed her shoulders. "Kendall, you don't owe me anything. There was something going on between us that I can't define. It was beautiful while it lasted, but if you want to be with JR….there was never any commitment between us. I came here today because I had the idea of protecting you from him. Well, it was Etienne's idea. I figured if I was here as a catalyst, JR wouldn't be able to bully or manipulate you." Kendall put her hands on either side of his face. "You are unbelievable." She slipped her arms around his neck and hugged him. Then she whispered in his ear. "I didn't marry JR."

Zach felt like every part of his body turned to liquid. He pulled back and stared at her. "You didn't? But I thought for sure…" She sighed. "So did I. I was determined that little Adam would always have a home with his daddy. I was right there in front of that judge with JR next to me and Erica and Adam behind us. But I couldn't go through with it." Zach shook his head. "So when JR said that you two didn't have a marriage in name only…" She nodded. "We don't have a marriage, period. The only reason I'm here at the mansion is because we were talking about the custody hearing. JR was furious that I didn't marry him, but I promised to give testimony on his behalf."

Zach found himself smiling, like a weight had been lifted. "When JR implied that you two had slept together….I got a little queasy there." Kendall crossed her arms. "I wanted to make him queasy by punching him in the stomach. Zach…I'm more than a little in awe of the fact that you came back to Pine Valley to support me. That's just incredible. I suppose I should give you a speech about how I can take care of myself or how I can handle JR just fine. Both of which is true. But that is beside the point. You cared enough to help me even though you probably thought I was nuts." Zach pulled her into a long, lingering kiss. When Kendall had melted into his arms, he whispered, "Do you know where I can find a nutcracker costume, because I just had a great idea." She laughed, her eyes sparkling.


	30. Making Plans

Chapter 30

Zach opened his eyes and stared down at a head full of curly hair. He smiled and inhaled her scent. He was in Kendall's bed again. This time going to bed with her had been much more fun. He was also glad that this time he didn't wake up to see Ryan staring him down. He sighed contentedly. This mattress really was comfortable. Too comfortable, actually. Along with the jet lag, it had made him fall asleep too quickly last night. He wanted to talk to Kendall after they made love. Oh well, maybe they would have time this morning.

Zach was startled by the radio blaring to life. A pair of DJs were rambling on about the grand opening of another Glamourama. Kendall's hand slapped at the snooze button. She groaned slightly and stretched. When her arm brushed against Zach, she paused. Glancing over at Zach, she gave him a slow smile. "Since I'm not a morning person, I wouldn't usually say this, but…good morning!" Zach smiled too. "I hate to ask, since the answer will probably depress me, but do you have someplace you have to be? Because you set your alarm."

Kendall sighed. "My testimony in court is this morning. Hopefully I can get out of there quickly because I have to be at Fusion to finalize our ad campaign for the fall. I'm the only one around to do it. Greenlee is too busy playing casino with Ryan. Mia is occupied with the west coast. Simone is the only one who consistently shows up, but she is heading out on vacation with Ethan. I think. Ethan was with you, last I saw. Did he come back with you, or was he still in Paris?" Zach nodded. "He stayed behind in Paris to spend time with Miranda. I believe he planned to meet Simone at the ship for their Mediterranean cruise." Kendall caressed Zach's face. "I really want to ask you how it went with Ethan, but I have to get ready. It takes work to make myself look like a credible witness."

Zach laughed. "Well, at least you won't have to strap on a pregnancy belly for this one." She stuck her tongue out at him, then got out of bed and disappeared into the bathroom. Zach called after her, "I hope you don't mind, but I don't think I want to hang around the custody hearing. Too many of the principals make my stomach churn." Kendall poked her head out and shrugged. "You'd probably cause too much of a distraction anyway, popping up after a six month absence." She turned the shower on and got inside. "What are you going to do today?" Zach went and leaned in the bathroom doorway. "I have a plan, but it is something that I want to wait and tell you about later, when there are no distractions. It's related to what I was doing with Ethan in Paris." Kendall moved the shower curtain slightly so she could peek out. "Oooh, cryptic." She grinned at him. He smiled slowly, then divested himself of his boxers and joined her in the shower.

---------------

Kendall headed for the door, a piece of toast in her hand. "There's an extra key on the table. I'll see you later. By the way, the woman who bought your condo is a regular Mrs. Kravitz. Be sure to give her a friendly wave when you leave." Kendall demonstrated by waggling her fingers at the window of the condo across the way. A curtain flickered suspiciously. Zach almost spit out his coffee. When Kendall was gone, Zach took out his cell phone and dialed a number. A person answered and confirmed that he was calling the Miranda Montgomery Center. He made an appointment to see the director.

Kendall approached the courtroom doors. They opened and Erica walked out. "Oh, hello mother." Erica looked perturbed. "Kendall, JR just told me about Zach Slater showing up at his house last night. He said that Zach kissed you and announced that he was your lover. Then the two of you left together. Do you mind telling me what is going on?" Kendall rolled her eyes. "Zach is my lover. He came to see me. We went back to my place and made love. Want to know what we did this morning?" Erica sighed and held up her hands. "Spare me. I just want to know how this all started. And I want to know if Zach is the reason you refused to marry JR." Kendall shook her head. "That will take more time than I've got right now. How about we have lunch and talk? I'll even spring for it if you promise to keep your opinions to yourself." Erica threw up her hands. "Then I guess it will be my treat. I'll see you later. Good luck with your testimony."

Amazed that she had escaped for the time being, Kendall went into the courtroom and approached JR. "Do you have any Prozac? Because I'm going to need it." JR looked confused. "You've gone up on the witness stand numerous times." Kendall shook her head. "Not for my testimony, you idiot. For the lunch I'm going to have with my mother. You had to blab to her about Zach." Before he could respond, the judge's arrival was announced. An hour later, Kendall was walking out of the courtroom. Well, she thought, she had JR's undying love now. Her testimony had been outstanding. Babe's attorney tried to crack her, but failed miserably. Kendall's smile faded when Erica accosted her. "Wonderful testimony, sweetheart. Now let's go to lunch." Kill me now, thought Kendall.

At the Miranda Montgomery Center, Zach was briefing the director about his day with Ethan at the homeless shelter in Paris. Ethan had been so impressed by the organized, well-run shelter that he had asked Zach to give the director of MMC some ideas he could work with. The director, Hal Jamison, nodded his head. "The French have some innovative ideas and we'd be glad to incorporate some of them. Would you like a tour of the center?" Zach nodded. During the tour, his heart swelled that Bianca's dream was coming true. She had managed to take her heartache over losing her child (so she thought) and turn it into something beautiful. He asked the director about volunteering at the center. The director suggested the possibility of mentoring some of the children with absentee or abusive fathers. Zach agreed.

Kendall flopped down in her desk chair at Fusion. She could not believe she actually made it through lunch alive. Although she did feel like she had indigestion. Somehow she had managed to explain what happened in Paris, and then told her mother that there would be no further discussion on the matter. Flames must have been shooting out of her eyes, because for some reason Erica backed down. Kendall shook her head as she realized that it could not have been the strength of her demand. If Erica backed down, it was only because she had something up her sleeve. Well, on to ad campaigns. As she flipped through the various ideas that had been presented to her, she began to realize that she was sick to death of Fusion. The company had been a labor of love, but as Kendall knew all too well, love could turn sour. When it had been the four of them, Fusion was a delight to come to every day. Now she was here all alone.

Maybe she was channelling her mother. Erica has reinvented herself countless times. Much as she had hated to give up on getting Enchantment back, she had finally moved on to a new project. A new television show. Kendall was reminded that her mother still wanted her to be executive producer. The pace at Fusion was often frenetic, but that would be nothing compared with producing a television show. Then there was the aspect of working with her mother every day. It probably wouldn't be a good idea. But if she gave up Fusion, and didn't go to work with her mother, what would she do?


	31. The Not So New Girl In Town

Chapter 31

Zach looked around the day care facilities at MMC. The director said that the women who came to the center were often very protective of their children. The day care program was designed to give these moms peace of mind, so they could go out and do whatever they needed to do. The director said that most of the children there had no father figure. He was currently trying to build a base of volunteers who have had background checks that could spend time with the children. Mr. Jamison pointed to one little boy of about two. "This young boy's father died recently. His mother is very protective of him, and was very hesitant to leave him in our care. We always ask permission of the mothers before allowing any of the male volunteers to spend time with the children. Our desire is to establish trust with these women." Zach squatted down to smile at the boy, who was stacking blocks. The boy noticed him and handed him a block. Then the boy looked off to the side and delight spread across his face. "Mommy!" Zach turned and saw a woman approaching, a very disturbed look on her face. "What are you two doing hovering around my son?"

Mr. Jamison looked pained. "Mrs. Townsend, I'm sorry if we upset you. I was giving Mr. Slater, here, a tour, and telling him about our idea of a mentoring program for children without fathers." The woman's face tightened with anger. "My son has a father. He may not be alive, but he will always be Chris's father. No volunteer is going to make up for that." As Mr. Jamison tried to smooth things over, Zach was assessing the boy's mother. There was something very familiar about her. Not in terms of having met her before, but perhaps having seen her picture. Then it hit him. This was Julia Santos, Maria's sister. The one who was supposed to be in the Witness Protection Program with her husband, Noah. Julia saw the spark of recognition in Zach's eyes, and gave him a warning look. Then she turned to the director. "Mr. Jamison. I apologize for overreacting. Maybe if I could speak with Mr. Slater for awhile, I would feel more comfortable at the idea of him spending time with my son." Mr. Jamison nodded his head rapidly. "Of course, of course. If you want to use one of our interview rooms, there is one over there.

Julia looked down at her son. "I'll be back in a little bit, sweetheart. You keep building that stack up as high as it can go!" She went swiftly to the room, Zach following her. When he had closed the door behind him, she turned and glared at him. "Let's cut to the chase, shall we? I know very well who you are. During the time when you were in Pine Valley last year, your name was often splashed on the tabloids. I could also tell that you recognize me. So tell me, Zach Slater or Alex Cambias Jr, whoever you are, what are you going to do now?" Zach sat down in one of the chairs, adopting a casual slouch. "I loved your sister, Maria, very much, Julia. For her sake I am not going to tell a soul that I saw you here. But since I did see you here, I think it entitles me to know why you would come here. Mr. Jamison said that Chris's father was dead. What happened?"

Julia didn't sit down. "First of all, you say you loved Maria, yet you apparently tried to break up her family. Second of all, you aren't entitled to a damn thing." Zach stood up. "The Miranda Center is for women and mothers who are in need of help and they have nowhere else to turn. That may very well describe you, but your situation is much more dangerous. You are a target, and as long as you stay here, this center would be a target as well. Do you really want that?" Julia breathed deeply, in and out. She sat down, her eyes turning bright with tears. "Noah was murdered. The FBI messed up badly and Slade's people caught up with us. I was so terrified that they would come after Chris too. I couldn't trust the FBI anymore, so I came here, hoping to find sanctuary with my family. But everyone has left. They've all moved out of town. So I decided to hide out here for a couple of days until I could figure out how to get to someplace safe. I also need to find out who exactly it was that killed my husband. I've run from these people long enough, I need to take action. I'm so sick and tired of feeling helpless." She wiped away a tear, clearly frustrated that he would see her so vulnerable.

"I know that most of what you've heard about me is not good at all. Please believe me when I tell you that I really did love Maria, and she did love me. When you do talk to her, you'll find out that I'm not such a bad guy. She might even tell you that you can trust me. I want to help you. For Maria's sake." She stared cooly at him for a few moments. "How could you help me?" He thoughtfully tapped a finger on the table. "I could get you wherever it is you want to go. In the casino business, you learn how to be discreet. I could also probably help you find out who it was that murdered your husband and what they have planned next." Her eyebrows shot up. "How could you possibly find that out? Oh no. No, no, no. Please tell me you aren't connected to organized crime. Damn it! A casino owner, I should have guessed."

He held up a hand. "I am not in any way connected to organized crime. But I did do a favor for another casino owner a few years ago, and he is in organized crime. He told me that if I ever needed anything, I could ask." She shook her head. "Are you crazy? You know how slippery a slope that is? I may not like you very much, but I'm certainly not going to ask you to consort with the mob to help me out." Zach laughed. "I'm not worried about it. As you pointed out, I am…or was…in the casino business. That has required me to rub shoulders with criminals of every level. I've been keeping them at arms length for years and I know how to interact with them without getting my hands dirty." Julia stared up at the ceiling. "Well, I'm not sure who else I could turn to about that particular subject. I am going to call Maria first and get the goods on you. If she isn't absolutely certain that I can trust you, I will be gone in a heartbeat." Zach took a card out of his wallet. "Here is my cell phone number. Give me the word and I'll contact that person I told you about." He stood up and walked out.


	32. On the Beach

Chapter 32

Kendall looked up and down the beach until she saw him. Zach was sitting on a blanket, with a picnic basket sitting next to him. He was staring out at the water. The smile that spread across her face couldn't have been any wider. She had to restrain herself from skipping over to him. When he saw her, he stood up. It was really too bad that there were other people on the beach because she wanted to jump him right then and there. She kissed him instead. "This is a fabulous idea, Zach. I really need something like this after the day I had." They sat down and Zach started taking items out of the basket.

"What stressed you out? The testimony or Fusion?" Kendall waved her hand. "The testimony was a breeze. I've been on the witness stand so many times that those sharks couldn't take a bite out of me if they tried. Afterward, I had lunch with my mother, and surprisingly enough I didn't get raked over the coals. I think she's up to something, so you might want to wear some bulletproof armor. Then I spent most of the day at Fusion. Zach, I'm so sick of that place. I really feel like I need to move on from Fusion, but I don't know what else I would do." Zach rubbed his hand up and down her arm. "I can relate. When I moved to Paris, I figured I might start up another business, since its what I do best. I certainly didn't expect to play saxophone in a jazz club. I don't know why I thought I needed come up with a plan for a career. I certainly didn't when I became a casino owner. If you recall, I won my former business in a poker hand. I think a lot of times what we end up doing with our life is not something we plan, but something that just happens."

Kendall laughed. "That's true for my previous nanny positions. I'll tell you about that some other time. Fusion, however, was a plan. It was a plan to create a cosmetics business to rival my mother. Can you believe it? Greenlee and I built an entire corporation in order to get back at Erica Kane because she wasn't taking us seriously." Kendall shook her head. Zach popped the cork on a bottle of wine. "Lets have a toast to new beginnings, whatever those will be." Kendall started laughing. "What's so funny?" She continued giggling as she held out a plastic wine flute. "New Beginnings is the name of my mother's television show." Zach chuckled. "Right, I forgot." They clinked their flutes together.

Kendall sipped her wine. "So, I'm dying to know what you did today, and how it related to Ethan and Paris." Zach handed her some cheese and french bread. "First I have to tell you about Etienne. You remember Etienne? The baker you chewed out for not having chocolate croissants?" Zach explained about the homeless shelter. Kendall's eyebrows shot up. "You've been volunteering at a homeless shelter? And playing saxophone at night? I think you're better at reinventing yourself than my mother. You sound like you are pretty close to Etienne. I wish I hadn't been so mean to him." Zach grinned. "Are you kidding? He fell in love with you. Frenchmen love women who are both beautiful and have a fiery tongue." Kendall blushed. "So what does this all have to do with Ethan?" Zach told her about dragging Ethan to the shelter.

Kendall laughed so hard that she flopped backwards on the blanket. "I could just see the look on his face when you told him where you were going. Priceless! So was that where you were when I called about the wedding with JR getting moved up?" Zach nodded soberly. "I wanted to call you back, but a food fight broke out. By the time we got everything sorted out, I was exhausted and I figured it was too late anyway. Funny, the next day I saw that there was a voice mail message from you, but I didn't listen to it because I didn't want to hear that you had married that creep." Kendall smirked. "Instead it was me telling you that I didn't marry him. Could have saved you a transatlantic flight." Zach pulled her close and kissed her. "Despite being embarrassed in front of JR, it was all worth it." Kendall ran her finger down his nose. "It certainly saved me a transatlantic flight. I was planning on coming back to Paris after my testimony. On the pretext that I just had to see my niece again."

Zach kissed Kendall again, this time longer and hungrier. When he pulled away, they were both breathing heavily. "You would have put off working on the Fusion ad campaign just for me?" Kendall ripped off a chunk of bread and threw it at him. "Alright, I can't stand it any longer. Now that I know about the shelter, and about Ethan… What was it that you did today?" Zach told her about visiting the Miranda center at Ethan's suggestion. Kendall groaned. "I haven't really been there since the grand opening. Shameful of me. How is it doing?" Zach paused and sipped his wine. "It seems to be doing great. I even offered to volunteer there. They have a desire for men to serve as positive role models for the children that come through the center." Kendall put her hand on his cheek. "You amaze me!" Zach shrugged. "Its just something to do to pass the time." She shook her head. "And modest, too!" He held up a finger. "Now modesty is something on which I will admit to being an expert." She laughed and leaned in for another kiss. She was interrupted by a voice saying, "Kendall?"

They glanced over and saw Reggie and Dani staring at them. Kendall smiled. "Hi Reggie. You remember Zach?" He gave her an incredulous look. "Uh, yeah. Kinda hard to forget Zach Slater. Also kinda hard to forget how most of this town hates his guts. Supposedly that included you, Kendall." Kendall smiled. "You mean most of this town hates my guts, too? I'd have to agree with that. In my case, though, I earned it. Zach didn't." Reggie rolled his eyes, but before he could speak, Zach's cell phone went off. He grabbed it. "I..um…have been expecting a very important call. I'll let you guys hash this out."

Zach went off a distance and answered his cell. It was Julia. "I was able to get ahold of Maria. She had nothing but good things to say about you. My sister is very intelligent and intuitive. If she can trust you, then so can I. I appreciate anything you can do to help me found out who murdered my husband." Zach glanced over at Kendall, who was talking animatedly with Reggie. "I will get on it immediately and let you know as soon as I find out anything. I think I should also help you find a different place to stay." There was static on the line, but he could make out her response. "Maria has found a place where I can hide out near her. I'm heading there now." Zach was pleased. New York City would definitely be big enough for her to hide. They said their goodbyes and he disconnected. He thought for a minute about how he should go about making contact with the mobster he told Julia about. He no longer had the telephone number he had been given. It seemed unlikely he could find it through directory assistance. It was probably better to talk with him in person, anyway. He would head to the guy's town and figure out how to hook up with him from there.

Zach looked over at Kendall again. She gave Reggie a hug and waved goodbye to he and Dani as they turned to leave. Reggie shot him a look of warning, then sauntered off. Zach approached Kendall, fiddling with his cell phone. Kendall smiled. "Don't look so nervous. I talked Reggie down." Zach pocketed his phone and reached over to massage Kendall's shoulders. "I'm not nervous, just disappointed. I have to go on a business trip tomorrow. I'll be gone a day or two." Kendall's eyebrows rose. "Business trip?" Zach nodded, choosing his words carefully. "I need to do a favor for a friend and at the same time wrap up some old casino business." Zach really wanted to tell her everything, but he felt like they weren't his secrets to tell. There was also the fact that if he told Kendall, she would be in the middle of it and therefore in danger. He hated to do it, but the best thing was to keep Kendall out of the loop entirely.

Right now she was giving him a thoughtful look. "That was all very cryptic. Where are you going?" Zach decided it wouldn't hurt to tell her that much. "Port Charles, New York." Kendall frowned. "Sounds vaguely familiar. Is there a casino there?" Zach's lips quirked. "Actually, there is a floating casino, because gambling is illegal in Port Charles. But that is not the purpose of my visit. It's a long story." Kendall shrugged. "Well, I'll miss you." Zach pulled her to him and kissed her long and hard.


	33. Strange Encounters

Chapter 33

Kendall was still asleep when Zach left. He kissed the top of Kendall's head. In order to make the connecting flight through New York City, he had to leave obscenely early. On the flight, he thought about how he should go about getting in contact with Sonny Corinthos. After Kendall had fallen asleep the night before, he tried googling the man, but all the links that popped up were articles that went on and on about his criminal antics and his sordid personal life. Eventually he found the number to the coffee business Corinthos owned, but when he called it on the way to the airport, the flunkies who answered refused to even consider letting him talk to the big man - or his partner, Jason Morgan.

When he landed in Port Charles, Zach took a taxi to the docks. He walked around for a bit, feeling conspicious. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. If he even said the name, "Sonny Corinthos," he'd probably get jumped by either a thug or a cop. Zach found himself standing in front of a diner called Kelly's. Diners were always good sources of information. There weren't many people in the diner. A woman and a little girl were sitting at a table. The woman looked like a corporate executive, and the little girl had a mass of curly hair. Zach smiled. Just like Kendall's hair. There was a petite brunette sitting at the counter, talking to the older man behind it. He sat down a few stools away from the brunette. "I'll have some coffee." The man nodded affably and poured him a cup. Zach eyes the pie sitting under a dome and toyed with the idea of having a piece.

-------------------------------

"Have a piece of pie, you are nothing but skin and bones." Opal held up a plate of pastry. Kendall smiled and shook her head. "Actually, I've had a piece, thanks." It was the grand opening of the new Glamourama. Kendall had showed up to support her mother's best friend, but she was a little bored. She felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned and saw Myrtle smiling up at her. "I hear that scrumptious Zach is back in town, and staying at your place." Kendall raised her eyebrows. "Word travels fast. Yes, he is in town, and yes, he is scrumptious." Myrtle chuckled. "I knew it was only a matter of time before you two got together." Kendall smiled. "Really? Want to tell me who's going to win at the races tomorrow? You seem to be good at long shots." Myrtle chuckled again. "My dear, in my experience, the long shots always turn out to be winners." Kendall's smile faltered a bit. "Well, don't lay down any money on us. I'm sure I'll tank the race sooner or later." Myrtle patted her arm. "You think because you and Ryan combusted twice that you can't be in a relationship. I'll let you in on a little secret. Ryan may be the Golden Boy of Pine Valley, but he doesn't know anything about how to deal with a Kane woman. Zach on the other hand….well, you saw the way he handled Erica when she was playing drunken showgirl in Las Vegas. Ryan may have brought her home to her family, but it was Zach who saved her from sliding into oblivion. Something our dear Erica would never admit to."

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Zach glanced over at the brunette, getting a better look at her face. Suddenly he realized that she was familiar. He smiled at her. "You're Sam McCall, aren't you?" She narrowed her eyes. "Who wants to know?" Zach held out his hand. "I'm Zach Slater, former owner of the Seasons casinos." She hesitated, then shook his hand. "I recognize you now. But how do you know who I am?" Zach grinned. "Your quest for the Dead Man's Hand made all the rounds in Las Vegas. Everyone likened you to Lara Croft." The look on her face told him that she would just as soon forget about that adventure. "So what brings you to Port Charles?" Zach decided to just come out with it. "I'm looking for Sonny Corinthos. Do you know where I can find him?"

Zach suddenly felt like he was in one of those old westerns where the hapless cowboy strolls into the saloon and dares to breathe the villain's name. Sam narrowed her eyes again. The guy behind the counter stopped wiping the counter and narrowed his eyes. The executive turned her head to look at him and narrowed her eyes. Only the little girl was oblivious. If the jukebox had been playing, it surely would have stopped. Zach glanced at the door of the diner, half expecting Corinthos to come walking in with his spurs jingling. He half-smiled at his fanciful thoughts and sipped his coffee, waiting for everyone to snap out of it.

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Kendall drove away from the Glamourama, trying hard not to think about Myrtle's words. Could she make a relationship with Zach work? Did he even want one with her? For him, it could be just great sex. Or maybe she was Rebound Woman for him. Ugh, what an awful thought. As Kendall zipped around a curve, she was startled to see a large dog galloping around in the road. She jammed on her brakes. The dog stopped, his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth. Fortunately, the brakes worked well, even with the squealing. She managed to stop before hitting him. Taking a deep breath, she prepared to open the door. Kendall paused, wondering if that was a good idea. He looked friendly, but what if he attacked her? She rummaged in her purse for the mace. She dearly hoped she wouldn't have to use it.

Kendall exited the car, and the dog immediately trotted over. Holding the mace in one hand, she stretched out the other for him to examine. He sniffed it for a moment, then nudged it. She started to pet him. "Good doggie. You are so cute." He had the coloring of a german shepherd, but the silky ears of a labrador. She noticed he had no collar. As she petted him, he sat down, then flopped over so that his belly was exposed. Kendall laughed and rubbed his tummy. "You are just a love bug, aren't you? Why are you wandering around with no collar?" She opened the back door of her car, and the dog promptly jumped in and made himself comfortable on the back seat. She called information on her cell phone and got the address to the animal shelter.

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Sam McCall slipped off her stool and walked to the exit, pulling a cell phone out of her pocket. The man tossed the rag he was holding in a corner and leaned on the counter. "I'm Sonny's father." Zach was taken completely aback. Struck gold on the first try. The man continued, "I know where to find him. Thing is, I don't think he wants to be found." Zach stifled a grin. "By the likes of me, eh? What if I told you that I did him a favor once, and he told me to come to him anytime I wanted one in return?" The man looked at him skeptically. "He wants you to come to him anytime, and didn't leave you a way you could reach him?" Zach sighed. "I did some housecleaning awhile back and so I no longer have his contact information."

Sam came back into the diner. "Mike, I just talked to Jason. He recognized Zach Slater's name. He's coming over right now to take care of him." Zach heard the clatter of a coffee cup and looked behind him at the executive. She was scrambling to her feet. "Come on, Kristina, it's time to go. Kiss Grampa Mike goodbye. Hurry." Sam rolled her eyes. "Relax, Alexis. I meant that Jason will come and escort Mr. Slater over to the house." Alexis seemed quite harrassed. Kristina was as calm as a lake in the summertime. She toddled over to Mike and he picked her up in a hug. Zach was enchanted by her. Miranda was cuter, of course, but right now he wanted to put Kristina in his pocket, she was so cute. If Kendall had a little girl, would she look like this?

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As Kendall drove to the shelter, she kept glancing in the rearview mirror. The dog was panting, but clearly in high spirits. When she reached her destination, she went inside and explained the collarless dog in her car. The volunteer took a rope and followed her to her car. The dog greeted the volunteer as jovially as he had Kendall. The guy slipped the rope around his neck, and the dog cheerfully exited the car with him. However, as they were nearing the building, the dog started to dig in his heels. He gave Kendall a pathetic look with his liquid brown eyes. Kendall bit her lip. The volunteer managed to get the dog in the building, and nodded goodbye to Kendall as he shut the door.

Kendall took a deep breath and got back into her car. She had done a good deed. The dog wasn't going to get hit by a car. Some family would come and adopt him because he was so adorable. Kendall was suddenly reminded of her promise to get Miranda a pound puppy when she was old enough. Well, it wouldn't be this dog because Miranda wasn't old enough yet. Kendall's throat started to constrict. Why was she getting choked up? There would be a perfect dog out there when it came time for Miranda to pick one. It was just that this dog was so sweet. Kendall could see that he would be great with children. To her own amazement, she burst into tears. Maybe it was getting to be that time of the month.

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Zach looked over at Sam. "I assume you were talking to Jason Morgan?" She nodded. Zach looked over at the man called Mike. Then he looked back at Sam. "This genteman here is Sonny Corinthos's father. Are you related to Sonny or Jason?" She cocked her head. "Not related. I've just slept with both of them." Nearby, Alexis gave a squeak. "Excuse me! Sonny's daughter is standing right here! Let's talk about something else!" Zach stared. This adorable angel was the daughter of a mob boss? Now he wanted to put her in his pocket and walk out the door and away from this town. He had a sneaking suspicion that her mother wanted to do the same. Sam gave Alexis a sly look. "Isn't it time for Kristina to visit her dad? Jason can take her over to the house, along with Mr. Slater." Alexis glared at her. "No, it isn't. I'm taking Kristina shopping for preschool clothes." With that, she marched out the door, her daughter in tow.

Zach remembered back to when he ranted to Maria about the depravity of the citizens of Pine Valley. He had the uncomfortable suspicion that Port Charles made Pine Valley look like the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. A man walked into the diner, and Zach recognized him as Jason Morgan. Progress. The sooner he got the information he wanted, the sooner he could get back to Pine Valley and Kendall.


	34. The Big Meeting

Chapter 34

The limo ride from Kelly's to the Corinthos house was uneventful. Sam McCall had decided to ride with Zach and Jason. Zach glanced at Jason every so often, trying to figure out what the silent man reminded him of. After awhile it hit him. He was like that hive of villains from Star Trek. The Borg. Morgan's stare was cold and empty, and he used the fewest, most emotionless words possible in conversation. There must be some life in him if a woman as beautiful and vibrant as Sam McCall was as devoted to him as she seemed to be.

They finally arrived at the house. Fortress was more like it. Morgan escorted Zach to the living room, where he sat and waited another 20 minutes. Apparently mob bosses were like doctors. Was he on a golf course behind his house, practicing his slice? Zach hated to think what a mobster's slice would look like. He amused himself with such random thoughts until Corinthos finally made an appearance. Zach stood up and greeted him. "Thank you for agreeing to let me come and see you, without even knowing why I am here." Sonny gave him a tiny smile. "Your ideas saved my casino a great deal of money. I told you before that I owe you, and that you could come to me whenever you needed anything. Besides, I already know why you're here."

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Kendall sat at her desk at Fusion, willing the afternoon to go by quicker. She kept staring at her cell phone, tempted to call Zach. He didn't need her interrupting him while he was conducting business. As she sat there, trying to focus on the ad campaign, she finally snapped. She grabbed her cell phone and punched in a number. "Greenlee? This is Kendall. You are still the largest shareholder of Fusion, next to Cambias Industries. If you don't want your stock to tank, I suggest you get over here right now and actually get some work done. I'm sick and tired of being the 'go to gal.' I'm selling my pitiful shares, so effective immediately, I'm no longer working here. Goodbye."

Kendall ended the call and stood up. She suddenly felt light as air. She twirled around the room for a little bit. Then she went to the storage room and grabbed an empty box. She got a little choked up cleaning out her desk. There were mementos that she had gathered over the years. Mostly memories of good times with the other Fusion gals. She paused as she looked at all the trinkets and photos and pieces of paper. Should she really take this stuff home and be constantly reminded of what could have been? Slowly she closed the box and wrote "Deep Storage" on top of it. Then she called for one of the archivists to come and take it away. She grabbed her purse and walked to the elevator, her head held high.

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Zach's expression did not betray the fact that he was surprised by Sonny's remark. He waited for Corinthos to elaborate. Sonny walked to the bar and offered Zach a drink. He shook his head. Sonny poured himself a drink and then walked to the couch, inviting Zach to sit down. Once they were settled in, Sonny explained. "After I told Jason to bring you to the house, I went online and did a search on your name. I already knew about the fact that you opened a new casino near Pine Valley, Pennsylvania last year, and then at the end of the year you sold all your casinos and left Pine Valley for parts unknown. The online search contained a few more details. Most of it from tabloid sources. There was a lot of speculation about your connection to a highly respected citizen, Dr. Maria Santos Grey. She apparently had been presumed dead for five years, and came back to town with amnesia. The rags were guessing that you and she were involved at some point during those five years.

"Her name seemed familiar to me, so I did a search for her as well. Many of the resulting links included the names of her family members. The one that caught my attention was Julia Santos. That one rang a bell, especially in light of recent events. Julia Santos was responsible for taking down a major crime family almost ten years ago. She disappeared with her husband into the Witness Protection Program. I heard through the grapevine recently that Noah Keefer, her husband, was assassinated. Now how much of a coincidence is it that not long after Julia's husband dies, her sister's ex-lover shows up in Port Charles looking for me?"

Zach wasn't really surprised. Sonny Corinthos didn't accumulate so much wealth and power without knowing how to connect the dots. What really concerned Zach was the realization that he needed to be more careful than ever. If Sonny could follow the pattern, then whoever was out there looking for Julia could probably do the same thing. Sonny, apparently reading his thoughts, shook his head. "I have no connections with the family that is interested in Julia. They have no reason to scrutinize me, so they would have no reason to know that you paid me a visit."

Zach nodded thoughtfully. "Does this mean you know the name of the person who killed Noah, and whoever it is that is now after Julia?" Sonny shook his head again. "I only know the family in general. I don't know specifically who wants Julia dead. I can find out for you, if that is what you are asking. But not if it involves the feds." Zach shook his head. "I don't want to involve the feds either." Sonny stood up. "Then we're in agreement. I'll find out that information for you. I feel honored to be able to repay you for your willingness to help me." Sonny held out his hand. Zach shook it, trying to tell himself that he was doing this to save someone's life. Otherwise he never would have collected his favor. Any prudent man would stay as far away from Sonny Corinthos as possible.

Sonny smiled and extended his arm out to the side. "You are welcome as my guest here, tonight." Zach shook his head. "Thanks for the offer, but I really want to get back to Pine Valley." Sonny raised one eyebrow, then his smile widened. "I see. In that case I will have my limousine take you to the airport. Have a safe trip." Having nodded to each other one last time, Sonny left the room. Jason came in and led the way back out to the front of the house. Zach got into the limo, eager to be off.

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Kendall got into the car and wondered what to do next. Part of her wanted to go home and put her head under a pillow. Part of her wanted to visit her mother and unload. Unfortunately with her mother, she wasn't likely to get a simple rub on the back with a "there, there" thrown in. Home, it is. As she was driving home, she remembered the dog she left there earlier. She had felt so guilty driving away from him. Maybe she should go check on him. Maybe she should get some stuff at the pet store to donate to the shelter. Kendall turned her car in the direction of the nearest pet store that she could remember.

Her car loaded down with stuff, she arrived at the shelter. She found the same volunteer as before. Suddenly feeling a bit silly, she found herself in the rare position of being at a loss for words. "Um….I bought some stuff…in case you need it. I just wanted to know….how the dog is doing?" The man smiled at her genially and held out his hand. "I'm Tom. He's doing as well as can be expected. If you want, you can take him for a walk." Kendall blinked at him. "Oh, uh, I'm Kendall. Take him for a walk?" He nodded. "The dogs love the chance to get out of their cage and be able to walk around, have some human interaction. Of course, he was just brought in. I have an idea, why don't you name him? Having names usually makes the animals seem more like pets to the people who visit." Kendall bit her lip. "Well, I'll take him for a walk and try to figure out a name."

Tom led her into the back. He opened the door to the kennel, and Kendall was taken aback at how loud it was. There were about a dozen dogs, all barking at once. She stared at them all. They were barking because they wanted attention. They were all hoping that she would come to see them. As Tom walked her over to see the new dog, Kendall had a sinking feeling that she wasn't going to make it out of here without walking each and every one of those dogs.

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Zach endured delay after delay in his flights back to Pine Valley, including the layover in New York. He tried calling Kendall several times, but always got her voice mail. He was getting a little concerned that she hadn't called him back. Sonny had assured him that Julia's pursuers would not have any reason to suspect Zach's involvement, but he still felt uneasy. When he had let himself into Kendall's apartment, he was relieved to see her lying on her bed, sound asleep.

Zach got ready for bed, then eased under the covers. Kendall came partially awake. When she saw that it was him, she smiled sleepily. Snuggling deeper under the covers, she murmured, "I walked twelve dogs and petted twenty cats." Zach chuckled. He wasn't sure what that was about, but he looked forward to hearing about it.

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Zach was dreaming about France, and taking Kendall to visit Philippe in the north country. Suddenly he felt something smack against his chest. He came abruptly awake. Kendall was standing over him, a furious look on her face. A newspaper was lying on his chest. "Mrs. Kravitz, or whatever the hell her name is, very thoughtfully gave this to me. She thought I should be aware of the kind of man you are." Zach shifted into a sitting position. He unfolded the newspaper. It was the local tabloid. The headline read, "Former Casino Owner Meets With Mob Boss." The subheading read, "Will Pine Valley be the next Corinthos territory?" There was a collage of pictures. One of Zach next to Jason. One of him getting into the limo. One of the limo driving into the Corinthos compound. Zach felt like he was going to be sick.


	35. I love it when a plan comes together

Chapter 35

Zach's voice was rough with dread. "Kendall…what this article is implying…it isn't true." Kendall snatched the newspaper from him. "I don't care about implications, I care about facts. Did you go to Port Charles to meet with Sonny Corinthos?" Zach took a deep breath. "Yes, but it's not what you think." Kendall threw the paper on the bed and started pacing around. "Not what I think? I don't care how much this guy pretends that he is a model citizen, everyone knows that he is a criminal. Everyone knows that he gives orders and people die. This man right here," She stabbed her finger at the picture of Jason Morgan, "is his enforcer. He is a murderer, allegedly." She spit the last word out. "What the hell were you thinking going to see these people? You could have been fitted with cement shoes and thrown into the harbor and I might _never_ have known what happened to you. You would have just disappeared."

Kendall sat down on the bed, her voice starting to wobble, her eyes filling with tears. "I might have assumed that you decided to fake your death again." Zach grabbed her shoulders. "Kendall, I was never in any danger. Sonny Corinthos had no reason to kill me. He owed me a favor. He held me in regard, for what that's worth. I certainly didn't go there planning any sort of criminal activity." Kendall wiped her eyes and then looked skyward. "I know that, you idiot. Corinthos does own some legitimate businesses, including a few casinos. I know you're no mobster." Zach felt dizzy with relief. She believed in him. "I wonder who took these pictures, and why they would be following me." Kendall rolled her eyes. "I know exactly who. Donald Steele has the byline, but this has my mother's stink all over it. I'm so sorry, Zach. She must have had a PI following you."

Zach realized that Kendall needed to be brought in on this. He didn't want to keep secrets from her anymore. "I went to Corinthos to ask for information. When I was at the Miranda center, there was a woman there that I recognized as someone who shouldn't be in Pine Valley. Someone who was supposed to be in the Witness Protection Program. The crime family she implicated in her testimony have recently killed her husband, and she wants to find out who is responsible before they go after her son." Kendall's eyes widened. "Are you kidding me? This woman just spilled all this information to a stranger in one afternoon?" Zach shook his head. "I knew who she was from seeing her picture. Maria showed it to me. It was her sister, Julia."

Kendall stood up, her jaw dropping. "You met Julia Santos at the Miranda Center? She's the one who got you to go to a mob boss and put yourself in mortal danger?" She started pacing again. "I don't believe this. I just cannot believe this! That insipid little…" Zach stared at her, wondering at her reaction. "Do you know Julia?" Kendall laughed unpleasantly. "Yes, very well. I'm not very proud of my misspent youth, and she knew how to push all my buttons. We were both after the same guy, and I was the one who finally married him. What a booby prize that was." Zach wasn't sure how to take all this in. He decided to get back to the point. "When I saw that Maria's sister was in danger, I decided to call in a favor I had done for Corinthos once. He's going to find out some names for me."

Kendall stared at him. "And then what? What are you going to do then? Confront these people? Call the feds, I hope." Zach shook his head. "Julia doesn't want the feds involved. She feels that they were responsible for her husband's death." Kendall threw up her hands. "I'm sorry for Noah's death, really I am. But if these people can kill him, they can certainly kill you." Zach looked grim. "They can also certainly kill Julia and her little boy. I can't sit back and do nothing." Kendall sat on the bed and put her face in her hands. "I don't believe this. I don't believe this is happening again." Zach was bewildered. "Again? This has happened to you before?"

When Kendall looked up, she was crying again. "It's Ryan all over again. He started hanging out in Greenlee's pocket because she was dating some guy who's brother had a price on his head. No matter how many times I told him to mind his own business, he wouldn't leave her alone. He was with her all the time. He finally chose her over me. I can't do this again." She stood up, a wild look in her eyes. Zach tried to touch her, but she leaped back. "Kendall, I'm not Ryan. I'm not going to leave you for Julia. I'm just helping her out." She shook her head. "In a situation that could get you killed. I can't do this. You don't understand what it did to me last time. I lost control of myself so many times. I hate what I became. This time it would be much worse." She turned and fled from the room.

Zach called out to her. He ran after her, but when he reached the living room, the door had slammed. He opened the front door, but she had reached her car and was starting it. Damn, she was fast. He saw movement at the window across the way, and went back in and slammed the door before he succumbed to the urge to give Mrs. Kravitz the finger. He heard a noise in the bedroom and realized his cell phone was ringing. He ran to get it. It was Corinthos. "I was alerted to the article in the local tabloid. Someone really doesn't like you." Zach sighed. "My girlfriend's mother. She is very influential and very nasty. I didn't realize just how nasty until now." There was a chuckle on the other end. "I've heard enough about Erica Kane, that I'm not surprised she's behind this." Zach felt dizzy and sat down. "You know who I'm dating? How? Never mind, this is not good. If you know about Kendall, then they know. This gets worse and worse."

Sonny cleared his throat. "Well, at least you will know who 'they' are. I got the information this morning." Zach grabbed some paper and wrote down what Sonny told him. "I will be happy to send you some guards until this is over." Zach rubbed his eyes. "No, thank you. I'll deal with this on my own. We're even now, and I'd like it to stay that way." There was a pause on the line. Damn it, did he really just insult a powerful crime lord? "I am glad that I could help. Good luck to you." They said their goodbyes. Zach leaned his head back. Well, at least that part of it was closed. Now he just needed to figure out for himself the answer to Kendall's question. What would he do with this information? It was clear to him now, both from Kendall's reaction and from the fact that his role in this was now public knowledge, that he should probably pass this on to someone else. After the hell she had been through, Kendall deserved to be put first. He was also very afraid that she could be in danger because of him. The question was, who should now have the task of helping Julia?

Zach pondered the problem as he got dressed. As he was putting on his shoes, it suddenly hit him. Of course. The answer was spectacularly obvious. He grabbed the vital piece of paper and his keys and set off. As he was driving he called Kendall's cell phone. No answer. He tried her office number. Greenlee answered the phone. "Greenlee, this is Zach Slater. Is Kendall there?" He heard a scoff. "Of course not. She quit yesterday. Made one phone call to me and then walked right out. In the middle of the fall ad campaign. I can't believe she did this to me, the selfish little…" Zach cut her off. "Do you have any idea where she is?" Another scoff. "Of course not. Now that I finally have her out of my orbit, I'm not exactly going to keep tabs on her." Zach sighed. "Then you are of no use to me." He ended the call.

The last thing he wanted to do was call Erica, but he had no choice. He dialed information and got the number to her new office. He dialed the number. He was almost disappointed when she answered. "Erica, it's Zach Slater. I'm not going to even bother to ask whether you've seen Kendall. I can pretty much figure what the reply will be. Instead I will tell you that if you do see Kendall, to keep her with you, no matter what. Do not let her out of your sight. Because of your raging stupidity, her life could be in danger." He ended the call on her spluttering. Zach found the building he was looking for, and pulled into the parking lot. As he entered the building, he couldn't help but think about Kendall's words to him. "This time it would be much worse." Was she actually saying that her feelings for him were even stronger than they had been for Ryan? He practically bounded up the stairs.

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Kendall was back at the shelter, giving Ben a walk. She had decided to name him Ben because that was one of the names that had been used by her brother, Trey, before he went to jail. Since they were both in cages, it seemed to fit. "What am I going to do now, Ben? I've totally screwed up my chance for happiness. Instead of trusting Zach, I freaked out on him and accused him of being like Ryan. I was just so afraid for his life. He could die because he's helping that…that….well, I shouldn't use strong words in front of you, Ben. Tom says you're only two years old, so you're pretty impressionable. Miranda would adore you. So would Bianca. Binks, I need to call Binks." She checked her cell phone. Yesterday she had gotten no reception at all. Now there was a faint glimmer. As she speed-dialed Bianca's number, she heard a rustle in the woods. She looked over, but nothing was there.

Utterly relieved when Bianca answered, Kendall spilled her guts to her sister about quitting Fusion and the argument she had with Zach. "So you finally left Fusion. I was wondering when you'd get around to that. I've been wanting to make you an offer, but I wanted you to be well and truly done with that place, first." Kendall was taken aback. "Offer?" "Well, ever since I moved to Paris and mom got married, you've been out of sorts. Other than Fusion, there wasn't anything keeping you in Pine Valley. I've been wanting to offer you a job at Cambias Industries, here in Paris, but I didn't think you would take it while you still felt tied to Fusion." Kendall blinked. "A job in Paris? Working with you?" She was flabbergasted.

"There's something else I've wanted to tell you. Maggie and I have been looking for a house. An apartment is no place for Miranda. We want something like what I had bought in Pine Valley. You know, the one with the porch and the big back yard. If you come to Paris, you can live with us. We can be one big happy family. You can even get Miranda the pound puppy you promised when I was pregnant." The hairs on the back of Kendall's neck stood up. She looked down at Ben, who looked up at her with adoring eyes. "That….that sounds wonderful." Her throat started to constrict. "Kendall, I have some friends over here who have friends in the French embassy over there. They could get you a work visa in no time at all." Tears started to fall. "Oh Bianca. I accept. This feels so right, everything just clicks. But what about Zach?" There was a pause. "If Zach really cares about you, he will come with you." Kendall sniffed. "I don't want to give him an ultimatum, though. I did that with Ryan and it blew up in my face." "No, no, no. This isn't an ultimatum. You are moving on with your life. He can choose to be a part of it or not. Its not like it would be a big stretch for him. Duh, he lives in Paris. The only reason he came back to Pine Valley was for you." Kendall fought down a sob. "But what if he stays to help Julia?"

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Zach threw open the door to the office, hoping that the two PIs would be in. He was relieved to see Tad and Aidan huddled around a computer. They looked to see who had entered, and were definitely not pleased to see Zach. Tad leaned back in his chair. "Well, if it isn't Pine Valley's newest crime lord. Our last one was a crazy old bitch by the name of Vanessa. Fortunately, we were able to send her down the river." Aidan snickered. Zach came over and grabbed a chair. "I don't have time for pleasantries. The reason I visited Sonny Corinthos was to find out the name of the person who was responsible for Noah Keefer's death." Tad's face went cold. "Noah's dead?" Zach nodded. "I ran into Julia at the Miranda Center. She and her little boy were hiding out from both the feds and the bad guys. Right now they are somewhere in New York City, courtesy of Maria." Zach held up the paper with the information on it. "This morning, Corinthos gave me this name. Now, I'm giving it to you. I figured since Aidan is dating Anita and Tad has been the town hero long before Ryan came along, you two would make a fine choice to pass on this information." He slapped the paper down on the desk and turned to walk out. Tad and Aidan were left with their mouths agape.

Zach climbed into his rental car and dialed Kendall's cell phone again. Still not answering. He sat for a minute and tried to think. Last night, half-awake, she had murmured something about walking dogs and petting cats. Bingo! He dialed information again. He had no idea why she would be at an animal shelter, but it had to be where she was. Having gotten the address and directions, he raced there. He went into the shelter, and asked the man behind the counter if he knew Kendall. "Sure, she brought Ben in yesterday. She's out walking him now." Zach gripped the counter. "Where can I find her?" The man pointed. "There's a path that runs along that side of the shelter. I just sent another guy to find her, they should be back any minute." Dread flooded through Zach. "Son of a…"

He tore out of the building and flew down the path. In the distance, he saw a man walking up to Kendall, who had her back to him and was talking on her cell phone. He reached the man and grabbed him from behind. Kendall whirled around and stared agog. The dog strained at the leash, barking his head off. Zach searched for a weapon, but found none. Bewildered, he asked, "Who are you, and what did you want with Kendall?" The man looked ready to rip Zach's head off. "Who I am is none of your business. And if this young lady is Kendall, I'm not here to see her. I'm here to see the dog." Zach suddenly felt like a paranoid freak.

Looking from Zach to the man, Kendall asked, "What do you want with the dog?" The man smiled at her. "I wanted to see if he was my dog that has been lost. Tom said he fit the description." Kendall's heart lurched. "Is this your dog?" The man's smile disappeared. "No, miss. I'm afraid he's not." Trying not to show her relief, she put her hand on his shoulder. "I hope your dog turns up soon." The man nodded, and with a final glare at Zach, walked back to the shelter.

Kendall wanted to laugh at Zach's sheepish look, but her nerves were too shot. "You thought he was one of the thugs after Julia?" Zach nodded. He reached out his hand, and then pulled back. "I was so afraid they would come after you and try to use you as leverage. But it will all be over soon. Corinthos gave me the information I asked for, and I turned around and gave it to Tad and Aidan. They will help Julia, now. My part in this is over."

Kendall stared at Zach. "You…you're not going to stay by her side every step of the way to make sure she's safe?" Zach smiled and reached out to touch her shoulder. She didn't back away, but the dog did move between them in the hopes of some attention. Exasperated, he scratched the dog's ear, then gently nudged him out of the way. "I can be a control freak, but I do know how to delegate responsibility. I may not like Tad and Aidan, but they are more than competent to get the job done. I wanted to help her, but not as much as I wanted you, safe in my arms. Kendall, I want _you_ more than anything in the world. I love you." Kendall closed her eyes as hot tears spilled down her cheeks. Zach enveloped her in his arms. "I love you, too, Zach. I was so afraid I blew it this morning. I'm very good at making a mess of things."

Zach held her tighter. "You didn't make a mess, you made everything crystal clear. Now _I_ want to make things clear. I can't stand Pine Valley. I would stay here for you, but since I heard you left Fusion, I'm hoping you would be conducive to leaving. Will you come to Paris with me?" Kendall laughed. "I think the question is, will you come to Paris with me and Ben?" Zach's eyebrows shot up. "You have plans to go to Paris? With someone named Ben?" Kendall indicated the dog. "This is Ben. Before you came, I was about to go inside and adopt him. Then I was going to take him to Paris and give him to Miranda. Then I was going to start a job working for my baby sister. And I was planning to ask you to come with me. That is, if you didn't hate me for walking out on you and wanted to stay with Julia, instead." Zach stared at her in amazement. Completely speechless, there was only one thing to do. He kissed her.

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Author's note: I made the last chapter really long, instead of breaking it up, because for some silly reason, I wanted to end on 35 chapters like my last novelette. When I finished that one, I told myself I would never write another long one and stick to short stories. Zach and Kendall refused to be a short story. I never thought that while I was in the middle of this story, Zach and Kendall would come alive on the actual show. Now that I have finished, I will go back to writing the couples that (I think) will never happen.


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